Deniz Baykal, Chairman of the Republican People’s Party (RPP) (Turkish: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP)), criticized Turkish Premier Recep Erdogan for thanking U.S. President Barack for delicately handling the situation during his annual address on April 24.

Obama is aware of Turkey’s being sensitive to the issue and it was exclusively out of respect for Turkey that he did not call the Armenian massacre a genocide, Erdogan said.

Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu was critical of the U.S. President’s speech as an unacceptable one.

The Turkish Opposition pointed out the unacceptability of any contradictions between the statements made by the Turkish Premier and by the Turkish FM. The Turkish Premier must speak for his country rather than for what Obama said, Baykal said.

Turkish Ambassador to U.S. Namik Tan voiced his discontent with the U.S. leader’s April 24 speech. Turkey will not accept all that Obama states, as it is only a political statement without any scientific basis, he said. He pointed out that, while rejecting any coercion, Turkey is ready to set up a committee of historians to study the events.

T.P.