Turkey suspends Armenian flights over monument erection in Yerevan
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkey closed on Wednesday its airspace to Armenian flights over the erection of a “provocative” monument in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on the anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said, in an interview with NTV television, that they took this action because Armenian authorities put up a “provocative” monument which pays respects to the individuals responsible for the assassination of Turkish officials.
On April 25, the deputy mayor of Yerevan unveiled the monument which is dedicated to members of a covert operation called “Operation Nemesis” who carried out assassinations to retaliate the killing and deportation of Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces, historically known as the Turkish empire.
Armenia and Turkey have a long history of holding grudges over the death of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in massacres and deportations by the Ottoman Empire.
Meanwhile, the US Department of State expressed its concern about Turkey’s reaction, as the Principal Deputy Spokesman for the Department Vedant Patel said at a briefing, “We note with disappointment Turkey’s announcement that it would suspend Armenian airline overflight permissions.”
Cavusoglu warned that they would take “further measures” if the Armenian authorities do not remove the monument.