On Saturday, April 23, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavusoglu, paid a visit to Uruguay in order to sign the terms of reference to start the process of negotiations leading to a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, and inaugurate the embassy of Turkey in Montevideo in whose surroundings a group of people belonging to the Armenian community gathered. According to some videos that emerged on the networks, the protesters expressed their discomfort at the visit of the Turkish foreign minister, whom they described as a “murderer” and asked him to withdraw from Uruguay.
Çavusoglu made the gesture of the “Grey Wolves”, an extreme right-wing terrorist paramilitary group banned in many countries, as a message of “hate” towards the Armenian community. The fact generated discomfort throughout the political spectrum and also in the Uruguayan government.
Justification
In recent statements to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, Foreign Minister Çavusoglu said that “the protesters exhibited unpleasant, unacceptable and ugly attitudes” that generated “the necessary response” from them.
“We have no problem with Uruguay. They want to revive relations with us. It was in this context that our visit unfolded. It was planned to lay a wreath at a monument. The Uruguayan authorities said: ‘We would appreciate it if you would cancel the phase of placing the floral offering in the event of a possible demonstration.’ We also cancel. During the inauguration of our building, our ambassador was assured that this group would not be allowed in front of him. It was a mistake to bring that group there. The demonstrators exhibited unpleasant attitudes,” said the Turkish foreign minister.
He assured that his response was necessary, “but it is not an insult to the Uruguayan authorities, nor to the Uruguayan people, nor to the protesters.”
