``The proposal of penalization of denial of ``Armenian genocide'' in Russia is a provocation''
``The proposal of penalization of denial of ``Armenian genocide'' in the multinational Russian Federation is a provocation and it can undermine the state'', said the chairman of the Russian State Duma's committee on CIS issues Alexei Ostrovsky.
Joint statement of 14 readers published in Taraf as of March 22 reads, ``Armenians were massacred in Ottoman Empire in 1915 and conscience does not allow us to deny it. We condemn that injustice and share pain of our Armenian brothers. We protest against Erdogan's intention to use needy Armenians as hostages and consider his statement immoral.''