The “Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World in 2013”, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the European Parliament on 12 March 2015, included the assertions on the 1915 events, which are utterly devoid of historical reality and legal basis.

We find these assertions in all respects extremely problematic and regret them deeply.

The report interprets a certain period of the Ottoman Empire, which was tragic for all the people of the Empire, one sidedly and with a sense of selective justice. It also ignores the humanitarian, realistic and constructive initiatives of Turkey on the issue and puts forward illogical and unlawful demands.

These steps taken by those who do not understand this historical issue or intend to exploit it for political purposes do not only damage Turkey-EU relations, but also obstruct the way for Turks and Armenians to build their futures together.

The European Parliament had exhibited this one-sided approach also in its resolution on “a Political Solution to the Armenian Question” adopted in 1987 and in several subsequent documents. However, the previous experiences must have shown clearly that such steps in the same vein do not serve at all to the Turkish-Armenian friendship.

We expect our European partners to contribute constructively to the efforts for the solution and to encourage the Armenian side, which avoids the objective and scientific studies on the issue to become open to dialogue and reconciliation, rather than further deepening the problem.

Despite the biased and partial interventions, Turkey will continue to do its part in order that Turkish and Armenian people discuss their common history in dialogue with each other in a fair and open-minded way and to resist the initiatives aiming at registering the one sided view of history contrary to the universal values and international law.