By Mucahit Oktay
NEW YORK (AA) - The Turkish-American community on Sunday protested against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his remarks regarding the 1915 events during the Ottoman Empire and Karabakh.
The protest, supported by several Turkish associations, was held in Times Square, where participants demonstrated against a social media post Mamdani shared on April 24.
Members of the Turkish-American community from various backgrounds attended, chanting slogans and carrying placards.
Brief tensions occurred between some Armenian individuals and members of the Turkish community during the demonstration.
Digital trucks displaying information countering the claims also passed through Times Square.
Participants said in a statement issued regarding the protest that the mayor's characterization of recent developments in Karabakh was inaccurate.
The statement noted that as mayor of a city bringing together diverse cultures and ethnic groups, Mamdani's remarks risk alienating communities he is responsible for serving.
It also stressed that the events of 1915-1923 should be evaluated in light of historical facts and called for avoiding rhetoric that deepens misunderstandings.
In his post on the US social media company X's platform marking the anniversary of the 1915 events, Mamdani said '1.5 million Armenians' were killed by the Ottoman Empire and claimed that Azerbaijan and Türkiye attacked Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, adding that more than 100,000 Armenians were expelled from the region in 2023.
Türkiye objects to the presentation of the 1915 incidents as 'genocide,' describing them as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Türkiye and Armenia as well as international experts to tackle the issue.
*Writing by Merve Berker
