Today’s Zaman: PM Erdoğan apologizes over Dersim massacre on behalf of Turkish state

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has apologized for a 1937 massacre in the predominantly Alevi region of Dersim on behalf of the Turkish state, but said the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which was the only political party at the time, is the actual culprit and called on the party's current leader to apologize for the incident on behalf of the CHP.

“Is it me who should apologize or you [CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]? If there is an apology on behalf of the state and if there is such an opportunity, I can do it and I am apologizing. But if there is someone who should apologize on behalf of the CHP, it is you, as you are from Dersim. You were saying you felt honored to be from Dersim. Now, save your honor,” Erdoğan said during a party meeting on Wednesday.

It was the first official apology from the Turkish government over the killing of thousands of people in the southeastern town of Dersim -- now known as Tunceli as a result of a name change in 1936 -- between 1936 and 1939.


For more, please see this: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-263658-pm-erdogan-apologizes-over-dersim-massacre-on-behalf-of-turkish-state.html