Turkish parliament to recognize US killings of Native Americans as genocide if put to vote: MP

Independent lawmaker and former ambassador Öztürk Yılmaz said that Turkish parliament will recognize U.S. killings of Native Americans as genocide if it's put to vote. "I think it would be approved if it's put to vote in parliament. I hope that such a process begins and we'll discuss it," Yılmaz said, as he echoed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's earlier remarks on the issue.

Tuesday December 17 2019 06:24 pm

Duvar English

Turkish parliament will recognize U.S. killings of Native Americans as genocide if it's put to vote, an independent lawmaker has said, amid a fresh row between Ankara and Washington over a recent voting on Armenian genocide.

Independent lawmaker and former ambassador Öztürk Yılmaz said that he hopes to discuss the issue in parliament.

The U.S. Senate on Dec. 12 has voted unanimously to recognize the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 as genocide, prompting Turkish authorities to slam the move.

Following the vote, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has threatened to respond by recognizing U.S. killings of Native Americans as genocide, saying that it's a shameful moment in U.S. history.

Echoing the President's comments, Yılmaz noted that the issue should go beyond statements made by Erdoğan and should be brought into parliament.

"I think it would be approved if it's put to vote in parliament. I hope that such a process begins and we'll discuss it," Yılmaz told Sputnik.

Condemning the U.S. for recognizing Armenian genocide, Yılmaz said that the decision would seriously harm the relationship between Ankara and Washington.