Turkey recalls ambassador to Austria over 1915 events being called 'genocide'

Turkey on Wednesday summoned its envoy to Austria hours after the Austrian parliament described the 1915 events as "genocide", said an official Turkish statement.

"(It) is obvious that this will leave lasting negative marks over Turkey-Austria friendship and relations," said the statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, adding that the Austrian parliament's declaration has caused great indignation among the Turkish people.

Turkey's Ambassador to Vienna Hasan Gogus was recalled to Ankara for consultations after Ankara's views over the issue have been conveyed to the Austrian ambassador to Turkey, said the statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Austrian Parliament Speaker Doris Bures said in a speech that the 1915 events began with the "arrest of Armenians," continued with their "deportation" and ended with " genocide." Bures said six Austrian political parties have agreed over this issue and also prepared a joint declaration to this effect.

Turkey rejects the term "genocide" for mass killings of Armenians during the First World War, arguing the issue should be left to historians. Ankara has proposed to establish a joint commission which consists of Turkish, Armenian and other international historians to discuss the incidents in 1915, but Armenia has not responded positively to the proposition.
  Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
23/4/15
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