9% OF TURKS SAY ARMENIAN KILLINGS GENOCIDE: SURVEY

Gulf News, UAE
Jan 14 2015

Turkey says the Armenians died in fighting and of starvation after
they sided with invading Russian troops

AFP Published: 14:31 January 14, 2015

Ankara: Less than ten per cent of Turks believe their government
should recognise the mass killings of Armenians in the First World
War as genocide, according to a survey published on Tuesday.

On the 100th anniversary of the tragedy this year, the poll revealed
that only 9.1 per cent of those questioned believe Ankara should
apologise for the deaths during Ottoman rule in 1915 and describe
them as genocide.

Another 9.1 per cent were in favour of an apology without admitting
to genocide.

Turkey rejects calls to recognise the killings as genocide, saying
up to 500,000 Armenians died in fighting and of starvation after
Armenians sided with invading Russian troops. It claims a comparable
number of Turks were also killed.

Last year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered an unprecedented
expression of condolence for the massacres when he was prime minister
but this did little to satisfy Armenians, who want the deaths of an
estimated 1.5 million people recognised as genocide.

The survey, which was carried out between November and December by
the Istanbul-based Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies
(EDAM), was based on responses from 1,508 people.

It also found that over 23 per cent believe that not all those who
perished in 1915 were Armenians and that the government should express
its regret for all the Ottoman citizens — not just Armenians —
who lost their lives.

Twelve per cent said the government should express its regret for the
Armenians who lost their lives in 1915 but not apologise. Twenty-one
per cent preferred Turkey take no action on the Armenian genocide
claims, the survey found.

Turkey and Armenia in 2009 signed protocols to normalise ties, but
they have still not been ratified by the national parliaments.