Erdoğan Message Again Avoids Genocide Term on 110th Anniversary

Erdoğan’s Message on 110th Anniversary Again Avoids Terming 1915 Atrocities as Genocide – 2025

On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has issued a message. This annual communication from the Turkish head of state on April 24 is a practice he has maintained since 2012. However, in his message for the 2025 commemoration, President Erdoğan once again avoided referring to the atrocities carried out against the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and thereafter as “Genocide.”

Message Addressed to the Armenian Community in Istanbul

President Erdoğan’s message was formally addressed to the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul, Sahak Mashalyan, and the local Armenian community in Turkey. The message was delivered and read aloud during a liturgy held at the Surp Vartanants Church in Feriköy, a district in Istanbul. This act of sending a message to the religious and community leadership of the Armenian population within Turkey on April 24 is a recurring element of the Turkish authorities’ approach to this date, which is marked by Armenians worldwide as the commemoration day of the Genocide.

Describing 1915 Events as Perishing Under WWI Conditions

In his message, President Erdoğan employed specific language to describe the historical events that commenced in 1915. According to the source reporting on the message, Erdoğan stated that “Ottoman Armenians perished under the difficult conditions of the First World War.” This phrasing presents the immense loss of Armenian lives during that period as a consequence of the challenging circumstances of the global conflict, rather than as the result of a deliberate, systematic plan of extermination based on national identity. The use of this particular formulation highlights the continued official stance of Turkey, which does not recognize the events of 1915 as genocide. This choice of words is consistent with previous messages delivered by the Turkish leadership on this date, repeating a narrative that attributes the deaths to wartime conditions.

Claims Regarding Historical Enmity and Future Building

President Erdoğan’s message also contained statements addressing the relationship between the past and the future and referencing what he characterized as attempts to create discord. He was quoted as saying, “Those who tried to create enmity from history, to break the strong bridges and ties between us, have not been able to achieve their goal to this day.” This statement appears to refer to those who emphasize the historical facts of the Armenian Genocide, suggesting that their efforts are aimed at creating animosity rather than seeking historical truth and justice. Furthermore, Erdoğan articulated a perspective on moving forward, stating, “we must build the future together, being convinced that the memories of the past should not become a prisoner of the present and future.” This part of the message emphasizes a focus on the future and implies that dwelling on the “memories of the past”—referring to the historical events of 1915—should not hinder the development of present and future relations. These phrases, taken together, reflect a desire articulated by the Turkish President to move past historical grievances, while simultaneously, as noted by the source, avoiding explicit acknowledgment of the Genocide as such.

Contradiction Noted on Discrimination Claim

Within his message, President Erdoğan reportedly made claims regarding the absence of discrimination against members of the current Armenian community in Turkey. However, the source reporting on the message highlighted a contradiction inherent in this claim. It is noted that “in defiance of the attacks and discriminatory treatment carried out against members of the Armenian community in the past years, the President of Turkey excluded manifestations of discrimination against members of the Armenian community.” This observation by the source points to a discrepancy between the President’s assertion in his message and the documented instances of attacks and discriminatory practices faced by the Armenian community in Turkey in the past. The source’s note suggests that the President’s claim of no discrimination in the present is made despite evidence of such issues having occurred.

Concluding Expression of Sharing Pains and Remembrance

The concluding section of President Erdoğan’s message conveyed an expression of empathy and remembrance, albeit within the framework of his specific narrative. The message concluded by stating, “With these thoughts, I once again sincerely share the pains suffered by the Armenian community in the past and respectfully remember the Ottoman citizens who lost their life.” This concluding phrase includes an acknowledgment of the “pains suffered by the Armenian community in the past,” which is a general reference to historical suffering. However, it refrains from specifying the cause of these pains as genocide. Furthermore, the message mentions remembering “the Ottoman citizens who lost their life,” a broad category that includes all those who perished in the Ottoman Empire during that period, without specifically singling out the targeted nature of the violence against the Armenian population. This language is consistent with the message’s overall avoidance of the term Genocide and its framing of the events within the context of general wartime losses.

Context of Turkey’s Ongoing Genocide Denial Policy

President Erdoğan’s message on the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide takes place within the broader context of Turkey’s official policy of denying the Genocide. As explicitly stated in the source, “The leader of Turkey refuses to accept the fact of the Armenian Genocide to this day.” This ongoing denial by the Turkish government is a significant point of contention in international relations and with the Armenian people worldwide. Erdoğan’s annual messages on April 24, while acknowledging historical suffering to some degree and addressing the Armenian community in Turkey, consistently adhere to this policy of denial by deliberately avoiding the term Genocide and offering alternative explanations for the historical events. The repetition of the same text from previous years, as noted in the source, underscores the consistent nature of this official stance.

Significance of the Annual Message

The fact that President Erdoğan issues this message annually on April 24 since 2012 is significant. It indicates a recognition by the Turkish government that April 24 is a date of importance related to the Armenian experience, even if their interpretation of the events differs fundamentally. The message serves as an official communication from the highest level of the Turkish government concerning the events of 1915, directed specifically at the Armenian community in Turkey and, by extension, potentially the wider Armenian diaspora and international community. However, the consistent avoidance of the term Genocide in these messages reinforces the ongoing denial and remains a key aspect of Turkey’s official position.

Continued Denial Marked by Annual Message on 110th Anniversary

On April 24, 2025, the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was marked by a message from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, delivered to the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and the local Armenian community. As in previous years since 2012, the message notably avoided using the term “Genocide” to describe the 1915 atrocities against the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire. Instead, it referred to “Ottoman Armenians perished under the difficult conditions of the First World War.” While acknowledging past pains and remembering Ottoman citizens who lost their lives, the message, as reported by the source, also claimed the absence of discrimination against the current Armenian community, a point the source notes is contradicted by past incidents. The content and consistent nature of this annual message underscore Turkey’s ongoing official policy of denial regarding the Armenian Genocide, a policy that remains a source of deep pain and injustice for the Armenian people worldwide.