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Turkey: Pope’s genocide remarks won’t help peace efforts

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Pope Francis, right, and Catholicos Karekin II release white doves in front of Ararat\'s mountain after a ceremony at the Khor Virap\'s monastery, Armenia, Sunday, June 26, 2016. (L\'Osservatore Romano/Pool photo via AP)

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey says Pope Francis’s recognition of the Ottoman-era killings of Armenians as genocide during his visit to Armenia won’t help efforts to establish peace and stability in the Caucasus region.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said Monday that the pope had again “disappointed” the Turkish people with remarks and accused him of “bias” and “religion-based discrimination” against Turkey.

Francis has said the 1915 slaughter by Ottoman Turks of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians constituted planned “genocide” during his three-day visit.

Turkey rejects the term genocide, saying the death toll cited by historians is inflated and that people died on both sides of the conflict. When Francis first used it last year, Turkey recalled its ambassador for 10 months and accused the pope of spreading lies.

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