Istanbul: Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday lashed out at Pope Francis for "inappropriate" and "one-sided" comments after he used the word "genocide" to describe the massacres of Armenians by Ottoman forces during World War I.
"To read these sorrows in a one-sided way is inappropriate for the pope and the authority that he holds," Davutoglu said in televised comments as a diplomatic row escalated between Turkey and the Vatican.
He added: "We'd expect the religious leaders to call for peace. Opening archives for those whose hearts are sealed serves no purpose."
Davutoglu lamented that the pope's comments were not in line with statements by Francis in favour of reconciliation during his visit to Turkey in November.
"I hope the pope stands behinds his opinions he expressed (to us) when he came to Turkey and revises his recent attitude," he said.
