The evidence from foreign missions visiting Anatolia during WWI fully exposes the factual distortions undertaken by Armenia regarding the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire, the Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Hulusi Akar said.
In his words, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Armenians tried to take advantage of the weakness of the Ottoman state and create a "Great Armenia" on these lands, resorting to various tricks. "In order to enlist the support of the major powers, Armenians manipulated public opinion, actively using the lobby structures in the US. They tried to create the ”Great Armenia” with the support of Great Britain and under the US mandate," the minister said.
He further noted that US President Woodrow Wilson, trying to expand his influence in the region and analyze the validity of the Armenian side’s information, sent a military mission to the Ottoman state, the purpose of which was to investigate the situation in Anatolia. The result of this mission was the so-called Harbord Report, indicating that the massacres in Anatolia were committed not by Turks, but by Armenians. A copy of the document containing the exposure of the allegations of the Armenian lobby is kept in the US National Archives.
In this regard, Akar recalled that Turkey, in order to eliminate any insinuations on this issue, has repeatedly declared its readiness to open its archives and called on the Armenian side for similar actions. "Armenia should follow the example of Turkey and open its archives to scientists. Today I will repeat this call voiced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The results of the work of the joint scientific commission should be recognized by all parties," aa.com.tr quotes the minister as saying.
