Erdogan turns down Putin’s invititation to attend V-Day ceremony

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declined an invitation from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to visit Moscow Friday to attend events marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Today's Zaman reported Wednesday.

Turkish Ambassador to Russia Ümit Yardım will represent Turkey in the Victory Day parade in Moscow.

Erdoğan's decision to shun the anniversary events comes amid diplomatic tension between Turkey and Russia over Armenian claims of genocides during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Putin labeled the killings as "genocide," a term Turkey categorically rejects, and attended a commemoration in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on the centenary of the killings on April 24, instead of attending events on the same day in Turkey marking the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli War.