YEREVAN. – Turkey was preparing a long time ago to mark in 2015 the centenary of the victory at the Battle of Gallipoli, but the decision to commemorate it on April 24 is quite low in terms of any civilizational and ethical dimension, turkologist Andranik Ispiryan said at a press conference on Monday.

“It is clear and simple that, with this decision, the president of Turkey will attempt to divert the world’s attention from the events [to be held] devoted to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“For any reasonable person, [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s decision to declare April 24—which is the Day of Genocide—day of victory at the Battle of Gallipoli, is cynicism and a disrespect towards the 1.5 million Armenians killed [as a result of the genocide],” Ispiryan stated, in particular.

The turkologist also stressed that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s response to Erdogan’s invitation to take part in the Battle of Gallipoli centenary events was long, correct, accurate, and appropriate.

“The response of the President of Armenia was penned within the limits of diplomatic ethics,” Ispiryan added.