French President’s statement on Armenian Genocide angers Turkish FM

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The statement of French President Emmanuel Macron on the Armenian Genocide during the annual dinner of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France leads to a new tension in the Turkish-French relations, Sputnik News reports.

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on Macron’s statement on including an Armenian Genocide commemoration day in the calendar. “What will change if the issue is brought to the agenda or not”, the Turkish FM said, adding that genocide is not a political, but a legal term.

He also criticized Macron’s statement on the military operations of the Turkish armed forces in Syria’s Afrin. “France or any other country cannot give us lessons over Afrin. These Europeans are two-faced. They say you are right, but make another statement from the back”, Cavusoglu said.

French President Emmanuel Macron attended the annual gala dinner of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France. During his remarks President Macron touched upon a number of issues concerning the Armenian community, including the Armenian Genocide and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. “The fight for justice and recognition is our fight. We carry out this fight by remembering and fixing a genocide commemoration day in the Republic’s calendar”, Macron said, adding that a decision on this issue will be adopted in the coming months.