Putin: Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire taken by Russia as its own grief
24.04.2015,
14:05
Russia took the genocide committed against Armenians in Ottoman Empire as its own grief, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today in Yerevan as attended the event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide.
YEREVAN, April 24. /ARKA/. Russia took the genocide committed against Armenians in Ottoman Empire as its own grief, Russian President Vladimir Putin said today in Yerevan as attended the event dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide.
«We deeply sympathize with Armenian people that went through one of the most horrible tragedies in the human history – more than 1.5 million civilians were killed and mutilated and over 600,000 were driven out of their homes and underwent repressions,» the Russian leader said at the commemorative event.
He added that Ottoman Turks also destroyed architectural monuments and sacred sites and burned ancients books and manuscripts.
«The 2015 events shook the entire world, and were taken in Russia as own grief,» Putin said adding that hundreds of Armenians found shelter in Russia.
This year Armenia marks the 100 anniversary of Armenian Genocide committed in Turkey in 2015.
Delegations of countries, parliaments and international organizations as well as ambassadors to Armenia came to Tsitsernakaberd, the memorial to Armenian Genocide victims.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of France Francois Hollande, President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic and President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades visited the memorial.
The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century.
According to Armenian and many other historians, up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed starting in 1915 in a systematic campaign by the government of Turkey.
Turkey has been denying it for decades. The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries.
The first was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, 43 U.S. states.
It was recognized also by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches and other international organizations. ---0-----
