25 April 2017•Update: 26 April 2017
By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet
ANKARA
Turkey has condemned the burning of a Turkish flag in the Greek capital Athens on Monday.
"We strongly condemn the burning of the Turkish flag during the demonstrations that took place on 24 April in Athens regarding the so-called anniversary of the 1915 events" marked by Armenians, said a Foreign Ministry statement late Tuesday.
It added that the Turkish Embassy in Athens has demanded that Greek authorities immediately arrest those responsible.
"This act has been committed against our flag, which represents the independence and sacred values of the Turkish nation. We demand that the perpetrators are brought to justice as soon as possible," the statement stressed.
Turkey denies the alleged Armenian “genocide” of 1915, but acknowledges that there were casualties on both sides during the events during World War I.
According to Turkey, the deaths in eastern Anatolia in 1915 occurred after some Armenians sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.
Turkey describes the 1915 events as a tragedy for both sides.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to deal with the issue.
