'1915 events must be investigated without prejudice'

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - The events of 1915 must be read and investigated without prejudice, Turkey’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Wednesday.

“Those who want to learn the before and the after of the 1915 events, and the common pain of us should pay attention to this call,” Kalin wrote on Twitter, referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call on anyone with an ultimate aim of finding the truth over the tragedy.

Kalin also quoted Erdogan as saying in his tweet: "The doors of our archives are fully open to everyone whose aim is to find the truth. We have no secrets."

Erdogan’s remarks came during a symposium on archives and historical research in the capital Ankara on Wednesday.

“It should be read and investigated without judging beforehand,” Kalin urged.

Turkey's position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide" but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.