Turkey is raising its voice after the declaration of Pope Francis, who publicly recognized the Armenian Genocide, the French channel France 24 reports, commenting on Pope’s words during the mass held on Sunday in the Vatican. “Pope’s statement adds to the tension already received by Ankara, however this can further complicate the Vatican’s relations with Turkey,” the channel says.

Referring to the arguments of the Turkish leadership, Fatma Kizilboga, correspondent of France 24 in Istanbul, said that the Turkish government was taken aback by the fact that the Pope took such stand only in favor of Armenians, without uttering a word about the Muslims and other religious minorities, who also met their doom in the same period” 

According to her, the question still remains sensitive for Turkey, since “recognizing that Genocide would mean to question the history and heroic past of the nationalist Turkey, established after the War for Independence, which started during the fall of the Ottoman Empire – actually, during the same period.”

“Turks seem not to be ready to admit these dark pages of their history,” Fatma said. However, their attitude is beginning to change. France 24 correspondent witnessed the events organized on occasion of the Armenian Genocide Centennial and held by the Turks advocating for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Consequently, she thinks that the recognition of the Genocide by Ankara is possible in the future, even if this may take a few more years.