Turkey: France had role in massacre of Turks century ago

By Tugrul Cam

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday blamed France for its role in massacring the Turks a century ago by arming Armenians.

"The French have a role in arming Armenians and massacring Turks a century ago," Hami Aksoy said in a news conference in capital Ankara.

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.