Armenian PM Pashinyan condemns burning of Turkish, Azerbaijani flags in Yerevan
Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan holds his annual press conference in Yerevan on January 31, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan condemned the burning of Turkish and Azerbaijani flags during a march in Yerevan, marking the anniversary of the 1915 events, calling the act “irresponsible and unacceptable.”
In a statement relayed by government spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan, Pashinyan said, “The prime minister considers this an irresponsible and unacceptable act. The burning of flags belonging to internationally recognized states, especially neighboring countries, cannot be viewed differently by the head of state. This was a provocative and inflammatory act.”
Turkish and Azerbaijani flags burned during traditional torchlight march
The incident took place on Wednesday ahead of the traditional torchlight march from Republic Square to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial, held annually on April 24 to commemorate the so-called Armenian “Genocide.”
The march, organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnak), included participants who burned the national flags of Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
In its official note titled “The Events of 1915 and the Turkish-Armenian Controversy over History: An Overview,” the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated that “Türkiye does not deny the suffering of Armenians, including the loss of many innocent lives, during the First World War. However, greater numbers of Turks died or were killed in the years leading to and during the war. Without belittling the tragic consequences for any group, Türkiye objects to the one-sided presentation of this tragedy as a genocide by one group against another.”
“Turks and Armenians should work to rebuild their historical friendship without forgetting the difficult periods in their common past. But in this endeavor, all sides must be honest and open-minded,” the Turkish MFA stated.
“Third countries can help this by supporting the normalization process between Türkiye and Armenia and by resisting those who want their version of history to be adopted as the uncontested truth,” the MFA concluded.
Türkiye and Armenia commited to full normalization
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan recently stated that both Türkiye and Armenia share a mutual understanding that the ultimate goal of their ongoing talks is the “full normalization of relations, including the establishment of diplomatic ties and the reopening of borders.”
Speaking to journalists at his hotel during the 2025 Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, Mirzoyan confirmed that he had met with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.
