Turkish official slams US resolution on Armenian events

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s energy and natural resources minister Thursday lashed out at the U.S. resolution recognizing Armenian claims of 1915 events.

"I hope that they would return from their mistake [so that] ... we put our relations on the right track," Fatih Donmez told the lawmakers in the parliament.

“I condemn the U.S. Senate's decision on the Armenian events,” he said.

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed Thursday a resolution that recognizes the so-called Armenian genocide.

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 examine the issue.