Turkey’s president sent a message on the occasion of April 24 to the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople and the Armenian community, which was read during the Sunday liturgy at the Patriarchate’s Mother Church.
“Once again I remember with respect the Ottoman Armenians who died in the difficult conditions of the First World War and express my sincere condolences to their surviving relatives,” was said in particular in the message.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that the years following the First World War were a very painful period for millions of children of the Ottoman Empire. According to him, it is humanity’s duty to share that common pain without religious, ethnic and cultural discrimination.
In his message, Turkey’s president stressed “the importance of healing the wounds of the past together and further strengthening human ties.”
“I believe that with this logic, instead of deepening the pains, we must build the future together, inspired by our coexistence that has roots going back a thousand years,” was said in the message.
Referring to the Armenian-Turkish negotiation process, Turkey’s president noted that he knows and greatly values that the Armenian community sincerely supports the Armenia-Turkey normalization process and close cooperation between the two countries.
“I expect that you too will make your strong contribution to the appreciation of the historic opportunity that has arisen for lasting peace and stability in our region after many years,” Erdogan said, assuring: “We will make every effort to ensure a peaceful and secure life for Turkey’s Armenian citizens.”
