President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter of condolence to April 24 mass that was held in Kumkapı Surp Asdvadzadzin Church.
The genocide commemoration mass was held in Kumkapı Surp Asdvadzadzin Church; the 100th anniversary mass was also held there. The ceremony was led by General Vicar of Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan. AKP İstanbul MP Markar Esayan, CHP Deputy Chair Sezgin Tanrıkulu, CHP Istanbul MP Selina Doğan, HDP Istanbul MP Garo Paylan and Foundations General Assembly Minority Foundations Representative Toros Alcan attended the ceremony.
In Badarak mass, people lighted candles and prayed in the memory of the genocide victims.
Aram Ateşyan read the president's letter:
“I greet those who gathered for commemorating the Ottoman Armenians who died in the tragic days of World War I. Turkey is the most meaningful place for understanding the suffering of Ottoman Armenians and commemorating them; thus, I am glad that this ceremony is held in Turkey once again. In Anatolia, where humanitarian duties are not ignored and both joy and pain is shared with sincerity, conscience and sense of justice come first. In accordance with our sense of history and understanding of humanity, we will continue to protect the memory of Ottoman Armenians. We will continue to remind the thousand-years-old common life culture of Turks and Armenians. We won't give up working with the aim of friendship and peace against the ones who have been trying to alienate the two neighboring peoples with common history and similar traditions by the discourse of hatred and to make history a political issue. With this mentality, I respectfully commemorate the Ottoman Armenians who passed away and express my condolences to their families. Once again, I want to remind that we share this common pain. I would like to thank all Armenian citizens who had contributed to this country.”
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