The Kurdish community is Armenia condemns the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and calls on Ankara to admit its crimes, Head of the Kurdish community Knyaz Gasanov said after visiting the Memorial to Armenian Genocide victims.

“Ninety-six years ago, the Turkish authorities masterminded and perpetrated the Armenian Genocide, and the civilized humanity must recognize and condemn that crime,” Gasanov said.  

During World War I, the Turkish authorities accused Armenians of showing favor to Russia and used it as a pretext for declaring the Armenian population the nation’s enemy. Many historians consider the events in 1915-1923 as a state-sponsored massacre, genocide. The Armenian side claims over 1.5 million victims, 50% of the Armenians early in the 20th century.

Many states have recognized the Armenian Genocide. Uruguay was the first to do it in 1965. The Armenian Genocide has since been recognized by Russia, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, as well as by 42 of the U.S. states. The Armenian Genocide has also been recognized by Vatican, the European Parliament, and World Church Council.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives approved an Armenian Genocide resolution on March 4.