Turkish and Armenian musicians performed at a U.S.-embassy backed concert in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Monday that was billed as an effort to establish cultural ties and to reunite the people from the two countries.
Armenian rock band “The Beautified Project”, Istanbulite Armenian singer Sibil Pektorosoglu and Turkish musicians Goksel Baktagir, Yurdal Tokcan, Burak Malcok and Mert Elmas took to the stage at the concert titled “Harmony of Melodies”.
In his speech at the concert, U.S. Ambassador in Yerevan Richard Miles said that he believed that bridges can be built between Turkish and Armenian people through such concerts.
Armenian Deputy Culture Minister Nerses Ter-Vardanyan also attended the concert.
The musicians will perform at a similar concert in Istanbul on Dec. 22.
Turkey and Armenia share tense relations over the events of 1915.
The 1915 events occurred during World War I when a part of the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the invading Russians and revolted.
The relocation of Armenians by the Ottomans in eastern Anatolia following the revolts resulted in numerous casualties.
Turkey does not dispute that there were casualties on both sides, but rejects calling the events “genocide”. Instead, it calls for a joint commission of historians to be established and archives to be opened in order to study and uncover what happened between the Ottoman Empire and its Armenian citizens.
