President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent the following message to Armenian Patriarch of Türkiye, Reverend Sahak Maşalyan:
“Reverend Sahak Maşalyan, Armenian Patriarch of Türkiye,
Distinguished Members of the Armenian Community,
My Dear Citizens,
I salute you wholeheartedly, with respect and affection.
I once again remember with respect the Ottoman citizens of Armenian descent who lost their lives due to unfavorable circumstances of the First World War and extend my condolences to their descendants.
I also wish Allah Almighty's mercy to all members of the Ottoman society who passed away or martyred as a consequence of armed conflicts, rebellions, gang violence and terrorist acts.
The devastation caused by World War I in the Ottoman Empire has opened deep wounds in our minds.
The atmosphere of peace and serenity inherited from our ancestors can only be maintained through our joint efforts.
The security, prosperity and well-being of our Armenian citizens, who enriched Anatolian lands with their cultural works and human relations, continue to be under our assurance.
We did not and will not allow even a single Armenian citizen of ours to be discriminated, alienated or feel second-class in their homeland.
It is important to address history under the guidance of wisdom, conscience, and science, instead of favoring a radical discourse, marginalization, and hate speech.
Showing empathy without discrimination among the incidents engraved in our national memory will prevent the sown seeds of hatred from taking root.
We believe that the way to protect future generations from the spiral of violence and war encircling the world is to build a future together in the light of the lessons we have learned from our common pain.
With these thoughts, I once again salute the distinguished members of the Armenian community.”