Yerevan. Mediamax. Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn stated that Turkey's backlash against European countries that call Ottoman Turks' 1915 massacre of Armenians “genocide” will complicate Ankara's ambitions to join the European Union.
Johannes Hahn stated it in an interview to Austrian newspaper Der Standard, Reuters informs.
It should be recalled that the Turkish government has recently issued harsh statements criticizing the adoption of the resolution reaffirming the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the European Parliament, the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Austria as well as the discussion of the Armenian Genocide issue at German Bundestag.
According to the EU Commissioner, Ankara's “very harsh” reaction should be seen in the context of elections coming up on June 7.
“This (Turkey’s harsh reaction – ed.) may be quite popular in parts of the country and among certain parts of the population. But what worries me are the long-term consequences. The seeds of an anti-European and anti-Western stance are thus sown, which from today's perspective makes a future (EU) entry very difficult,” said the EU Commissioner.
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