Erdogan’s Deport Armenians Statement Not the First Such Comment from Turkish Officials

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement on deporting Armenians living illegally in Turkey, this time, has received worldwide coverage: it’s become an issue of discussion not only in Turkey, but also outside the country.

However, it’s important to note that this isn’t the first time that Turkish officials have made such statements, using Armenians living illegally in Turkey as a “playing card” in a game of diplomacy between Yerevan and Ankara.

The Turkish public first heard about Armenians living illegally in Turkey in 2000, when then–Prime Minister Tansu Çiller was opposing a US Congress resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

After assuming the position, current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan occasionally threatened to deport “40,000 citizens of Armenia living illegally,” if necessary, from Turkey. That statement by Erdoğan immediately gained support from Turkey’s not only ruling, but also opposition parties.

For instance, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP, Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Co-Chair Yaşar Yakış has said that the number of Armenians living illegally in Turkey was getting close to 70,000 and repeated Erdoğan’s “if necessary, we’ll send them back” rhetoric.

On another occasion, Republican People’s Party member Şükrü Elekdağ, speaking about the “70,000 illegal Armenian immigrants,” said that they need to be sent back in “columns.”