ANKARA
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed the leaders of Germany, Russia and France for participating in the so-called genocide commemoration ceremony in Armenia.
Addressing members of the Independent Industrialist and Businessmen Association's 23rd General Assembly in Istanbul, Erdogan said that although Turkey organized the "Canakkale Centennial Peace Summit" in Istanbul, countries like France, Russia, Germany and Austria "preferred to support a claim that was based on Armenian lies."
Erdogan, reminding that the U.S. also participated in the trend with a "different expression," said what happened 100 years ago "is the common pain of the people who lived in the region."
"I invite those countries who support Armenian claims to clean the shames in their own histories," Erdogan said, referring to Germany, Russia and France.
"Germany is one of the last countries to have a word in this," Erdogan said. "They caused two world wars in the past century and three million of their citizens are of Turkish origin."
Erdogan also harshly criticized Russia, saying that since 1917, at least 10 million people have died within its own borders as a result of its actions. He cited the situation in Ukraine, Crimea and Donetsk as examples.
The Turkish president also said that France has a bad record starting from Algeria to Rwanda.
"These are all documented," he added.
"Those who criticize our mandatory implementations during the circumstances of World War I should firstly explain their bloody traces throughout their history," Erdogan said. "While we were trying to save our lands, they were committing humanitarian crimes for their imperialistic goals."
The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the invading Russians and revolted.
Turkey has called for the establishment of a joint commission of historians and the opening of archives to study and uncover what happened between the Ottoman Empire and its Armenian citizens.
The relocation of Armenians by the Ottomans to eastern Anatolia following the revolts resulted in numerous casualties. Turkey does not dispute that there were casualties on both sides, but rejects calling the events "genocide."
