Recep Tayyip Erdogan denies history of genocide and massacres

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced criticism following a June 30 speech in which he denied a history of genocide, massacres, oppression, and colonialism within the nation's history. Erdogan claimed that throughout the history of Turkey and its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, there has been “only justice and compassion.”

Critics argue these remarks overlook a documented history of mass atrocities. The Hellenic Canadian Research Institute has released a report detailing various historical crimes committed by the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey. Cited examples include the 1821 Constantinople Massacre, which involved the execution of Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory V, and the 1822 Chios Massacre, during which Ottoman troops reportedly killed, enslaved, or exiled a significant portion of the Greek population on the island.