BAKU, April 16. /TASS/. Separate Western groups are taking revenge on Azerbaijan and Turkey for not joining the union against Russia, Azerbaijani president’s public-political adviser Ali Gasanov said on Thursday, commenting on the adoption of a resolution on Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire adopted by the European Parliament.
According to Gasanov, such resolutions appear as a result of "attempts by certain circles to secure their own interests." "These circles are also taking revenge on Turkey and Azerbaijan for their refusal to join the anti-Russian union that is currently being formed," Gasanov said.
Referring to the European Parliament resolution, Gasanov said that Baku may revise its relations with the European Union’s legislative body. "Azerbaijan has suspended its activity in the Euronest group of the European parliament. If this continues, we’ll have to revise all relations with the European Parliament," Gasanov said, adding that the EP corresponding decision was "the most disgraceful in the European Parliament history, not reflecting reality, distorting the real history of World War I, an unjust and politicised decision, pursuing certain goals." Gasanov said he was certain that the resolution adoption was "the consequence of the anti-Muslim and anti-Turkic sentiments prevailing in the West."
The European Parliament adopted on April 15 a resolution declaring April 24 the European commemoration day for the victims of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 2015 and calling on Ankara to recognise the genocide fact.
"Armenia and Turkey should use the centenary of the Armenian genocide to renew diplomatic relations, open the border and pave the way for economic integration, says the European Parliament in a resolution voted on Wednesday. MEPs stress the need for Turkey to recognise the Armenian genocide, so as to pave way for "genuine reconciliation," the EP release says.
MEPs also commend the statement by Pope Francis of 12 April "honouring the centenary of the Armenian genocide in a spirit of peace and reconciliation". They welcome statements by the President and Prime Minister of Turkey offering condolences and recognising atrocities against the Ottoman Armenians and encourage Turkey to "use the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian genocide as an important opportunity" to open its archives, "come to terms with its past", recognise the genocide and so pave the way for a "genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples".
They also ask Turkey to conduct "in good faith" an inventory of the Armenian cultural heritage destroyed or ruined during the past century within its jurisdiction. MEPs pay tribute to the memory of the one-and-a-half million Armenian victims who "perished in the Ottoman Empire" a hundred years ago. Finally, they propose that an "International Remembrance Day for Genocides", be established to "recall again the right of all peoples and all nations throughout the world to peace and dignity."
Before the beginning of World War I, the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire was some 2.5 million people. In 1915, from 600,000 to 1.5 million Armenians died, according to various estimates, as a result of deportation or were killed. The Turkish government recognises the fact of Armenians’ mass mortality, however, objects to the use of the "genocide" term and considers overestimated the number of the victims on which the Armenian side insists.