In his defense speech at the trial on “Perinçek vs. Switzerland” case at the ECHR, leader of Turkey’s Labor Party Doğu Perinçek, in relation to one of the organizers and perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide Talaat Pasha, declared that “he was a friend of the Armenians”. Perinçek is leader of the infamous “Talaat Pasha Committee”, which is against recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

 As “Armenpress” reports, citing the Turkish Oda TV, continuing his speech after the break, Perinçek said: “As far as the “Talaat Pasha Committee” is concerned, there is no verdict on the Armenian massacres in Turkey. Talaat is a hero of liberty. The European media of the time viewed him as such. In 1908, Talaat worked with Armenian organizations within the frames of the Revolution. In the memoirs of Armenia’s first Prime Minister, it is noted that Talaat Pasha had asked the Armenians not to revolt. He is not an enemy of the Armenians. He is a friend of the Armenians,” Perinçek claimed, making an obscene statement.

 The main “idea” and “claim” in Perinçek’s defense speech at the ECHR is that, as a scholar involved in studying the issue, he has come to the conclusion that “the Ottoman government wasn’t pursuing the goal to eliminate Armenian citizens, and that that was compulsory deportation conditioned by the First World War”.