ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday faced accusations of racism days before he stands in presidential elections after saying in a television interview that it was ugly to be called an Armenian.

During a live interview on the private NTV channel late on Tuesday, Erdogan complained that the opposition was carrying out a smear campaign against him by claiming that he was from another ethnic origin. “They called me a Georgian. Pardon me for saying this, but they said even uglier things: They called me an Armenian!” Erdogan said.

“As far as I have learned from my father and grandfather, I am a Turk,” he added.

His comment that it was ugly to be called an Armenian drew anger on social media, further inflaming tensions days ahead of Sunday’s presidential election where Erdogan is hot favourite to become head of state.

“Excuse me, but please go and become the president of another country,” wrote prominent Turkish-Armenian columnist Hayko Bagdat in an angry response to Erdogan.

Melda Onur, lawmaker from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), asked: “Is there any ethnic group who could escape Erdogan’s hate speech?

Even a senior lawmaker from the ultra right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) – usually not a natural friend of Turkey’s Armenians — came to their defence.

“We have news for Erdogan from the 21th century: Being an Armenian is not a crime, a fault, an ugly, an embarassing or a sinful thing.... But his words amount to hate crime according to our laws,” Tugrul Turkes said in a written statement.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2014