Disinterest by World Leaders Cited as Reason for Cancelation
Update: Sources close to the Turkish government have denied Sunday’s Zaman’s report claiming that the Gallipoli commemoration events have been canceled, reported Daily Sabah on Feb. 22.
ANKARA (A.W.)—The commemoration ceremonies marking the centennial of the Gallipoli campaign of World War I have been canceled, according to Sunday’s Zaman. The paper revealed a low turnout by heads of state as the reason for the cancellation of the ceremonies, which were scheduled to take place in Ankara on April 24—Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on Jan. 15, in the presence of 16 soldiers dressed in ceremonial costumes representing various Turkic people in history. (Photo: Official website of the President of Turkey)
The paper quoted a government official, who wished to remain anonymous, as saying, “The Gallipoli celebrations have been canceled. All preparations have been suspended as the number of RSVPs to the invitation is not positive. Only five countries have accepted the invitation and they will not be represented by high-level officials.”
Leading up to the Gallipoli commemorations, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had sent official invitations to more than 100 world leaders, including Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, to join the ceremonies. The date designated for these commemoration events—April 24—created uproar among Armenians worldwide, while Turkish human rights groups urged world leaders to boycott the Gallipoli events.
On Jan. 16, Sarkisian responded to Erdogan’s invitation to Turkey in a strongly worded letter. “Turkey continues its conventional denial policy and is perfecting its instrumentation for distorting history. This time, Turkey is marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli on April 24, even though the battle began on March 18, 1915 and lasted until late January 1916, while the Allies’ operation started on April 25,” he wrote, adding, “What is the purpose [of this] if not to distract the world’s attention from the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide?”
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