We reject the inaccurate expressions and the subjective interpretation of history in the written statement by Mr. Donald Trump, President of the USA, released on 24 April 2018 regarding the events of 1915.

Our expectation from the US Administration is a fair assessment of a period during which all the peoples of the Ottoman Empire suffered tremendously.

In this context, we remind President Trump that during the same period more than 500.000 Muslims were slaughtered as a result of the events in which Armenian insurgents took part.

Turkey continues to offer the establishment of a Joint Historical Commission in order to shed light on this painful period of history and has opened its archives to researchers.

On the other hand, Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives in the conditions of World War I were commemorated this year once again on 24 April in a ceremony held at the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul suiting the respect they deserve and befitting the 800-year long friendship between Turks and Armenians. We recommend the US Administration to consider the message by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent to the ceremony at the Patriarchate of Istanbul on 24 April 2018 addressing the descendants of Ottoman Armenians, which reflects Turkey’s approach to this sensitive issue.

Besides all these points, we think it is in line with common sense that the statement made by the US President remained within international legal norms and did not refer to baseless genocide allegations.