ANKARA INDIGNANT AT CANADA’S RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE

After April 21 the Canadian parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, Turkish MFA handed Ankara’s protest note to the Canadian Ambassador to Turkey. The Canadian Embassy however called the Turks and Armenians to consent and asked the Armenian and Turkish governments to begin a dialogue on the Armenian Genocide issue. As reported by Reuter agency, the officials of the Canadian diplomatic representative office called on Yerevan and Ankara to conduct a joint work to consolidate stability in the region. Franspress in its turn points out to the fact that members of the Canadian Liberal ruling party voted for this resolution. Along with it not all the MPs voted against the resolution despite the strict position the Canadian MFA holds on this issue. At that, Canadian Prime minister Paul Marten and minister of Justice Irwin Cotler were absent from the parliament at the moment and the agency is inclined to view the fact as unwillingness to vote against the Armenian Genocide recognition. The Prime Minister’s non-intervention in the work of the parliament created an unfavorable atmosphere for Ankara, Turkish sources note emphasizing that just the executive power actively hindered the adoption of such a resolution before.