Turkish-Russian relations were among the potential victims of this year’s commemoration in Yerevan marking the centenary of the Armenian genocide. President Vladimir Putin, whose close ties with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have frequently been highlighted, was singled out by Ankara after his strong remarks on the events of 1915, and his attendance of the ceremony in Yerevan to commemorate the Armenian victims of that period.
Putin’s emphatic use of the term genocide — which Turkey rejects — angered both Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who did not hold back in expressing their disappointment and using sharp language in return.
