(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) ISTANBUL, June 4 (KUNA) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Saturday the German parliament after adopting a non-binding resolution which recognizes events in 1915 as a "systemic genocide" against Armenian.
"I emphasize one more time. We have nothing in our past to be ashamed of, but those countries that often accuse Turkey of 'Armenian genocide' have the blood of millions of innocent victims," Erdogan said in a speech at the Imports Council, calling on Germany to open its whole historic archives, adding "Turkey had nothing to be ashamed of in its history." Erdogan said Germany should be the last country to speak about the so called "Armenian genocide". "They (Germans) should firstly define the meaning of Holocaust again. They should review the Namibia Holocaust." "I know in my heart that the main point is not Armenians. They are just being manipulated. The Armenian issue is just blackmail against Turkey around the world," Erdogan said.
"I want to let the world know: like it or not, we will never accept the 'genocide' accusation," he added.
Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, in his address to representatives of nongovernmental organizations at an event in northeastern Erzincan province, Yildirim said the German move was a lie.
"These people who consider the relocation which happened everywhere in World War I a hundred years ago as genocide should be aware that Turkey is proud of its history and nation. If you reopen old wounds, Turkey was the least contributor," Yildirim added.
The Turkish premier asked Germany to look into the crimes of Armenians during the war.
"[Claiming that] Turks carried out genocide in 1915 is a historical lie. If you are keen to know what is a genocide, remember the people who were roasted alive by Armenians in cooperation with Russians in wake of War World I in Erzincan province, which was then under Russian occupation." Last Thursday, the lower house of the German parliament approved a non-binding resolution recognizing Armenian claims of "genocide" during the 1915 events.
The resolution accused the Ottoman government of 1915 of allegedly carrying out "systematic genocide" against Armenians, as well as other Christian minorities.
Turkey denies the alleged Armenian "genocide", but acknowledges that there were casualties on both sides during the events taking place in World War I. (end) ta.mb