Ankara snubs 1915 vote, says pope part of plot

Turkey has no reason to be defensive in the face of any motion to recognize the mass killing of Ottoman Armenians in World War I as "genocide," as it will never accept such "a crime and sin," President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has said.

The comments came amid accusations by Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu that Pope Francis has "joined the conspiracy" of an "evil front" targeting his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), after the pontiff referred to the mass killings of Ottoman Armenians as "the first genocide of the 20th century."

"Why are we standing on the defensive? [The revelation of] a shame, a shadow like genocide is out of the question," Erdo?an said April 15, when asked to comment on the European Parliament's move to debate the "Motion for Resolution on the Commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide."

"Whatever decision the European Parliament takes on Armenian genocide claims, it will go in one ear and out the other because it is not possible for Turkey to accept such a crime, such a sin," Erdo?an told a news conference at Ankara's airport before departing on an official visit to Kazakhstan, just hours before the vote in the European Parliament. 

Recalling that around 100,000 Armenian migrants were currently living in Turkey, in addition to Armenian-origin citizens of the Republic of Turkey, Erdo?an said the state had never "discriminated against the Armenian people." He also repeated an earlier argument that he made a few years ago, stating that Turkey was actually acting generously by not deporting the 100,000 undocumented migrants, although it could do so if it wished.

"Assuming such a stance against a country that has made all of these [services] is not acceptable," Erdo?an said. 

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