Christians in Turkey are worried about the Justice and Development Party's stance on the 1915 Armenian genocide.

The Justice and Development Party or AKP heads the current government in Turkey.

The 1915 genocide saw the systematic extermination of Armenian Christians by the Ottoman government within their historic homeland, an area now within the jurisdiction of present-day Turkey.

The start date of the genocide is generally accepted as April 24, 1915.

According to the Al-Monitor, both Syrian and Turkish Christians are not confident about the Turkish government's ability to recognise the violent chapters of its past.

Journalist-producer Harout Ekmanian, a Syrian who now lives in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, said that Christians were initially "delighted" with the AKP government. However, after the Arab Spring of 2011, Christians felt "marginalised" by the AKP's "sectarian-religious colours" and the government's "overt and direct" support of fanatical Islamic movements like the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Arab Spring saw the outbreak of political and social upheaval in 2011 that resulted in civil wars in Syria and Libya, and the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Ekmanian urged Istanbul to account for its past.

"In the Middle East to build dependable, good neighbourliness one needs to face the past, recognise it and bear its physical, social, political and financial consequences," he said.

Journalist Serdar Korucu told Al-Monitor that the Armenians' confidence in Istanbul has been shaken by claims it supported the jihadist forces that captured the Armenian town of Kassab last year and that the government intentionally transferred the dates for celebrating Gallipoli to coincide with the anniversary of the Armenian genocides.

Traditionally celebrated on March 18 every year, the AKP government changed the dates for Gallipoli to take place between April 22-24 every year.

Syrian Armenian author Hrach Kalsahakian echoed Korocu's sentiments, and accused Istanbul of allowing extremists to enter Kassab.

"These extremists could not have entered Syria with their guns unless the AKP government allowed them," the author claimed.