Turkish nationalists call for government ban on Armenians as France’s Macron moves to declare April 24 Genocide commemoration day  

French President Emmanuel Macron’s move to declare April 24 a day of Armenian Genocide remembrance has angered the leader of a nationalist party, who called for strong government efforts towards banning Armenian citizens’ residence in the country.

Mustafa Destici, who heads the Great Union Party, has raised a demand for expelling Armenian migrants.

“Not only Macron but also the entire world must join [our demand]; they cannot force us to accept that,” BirGün quotes him as saying.

The Turkish politician also blamed France for a genocidal past, citing the vast number of human losses in Rwanda and Algeria.

Macron’s decision, announced at an annual dinner event with the French-Armenian Coordinating Council, had sparked criticism also by the Turkish media.