Turkey rejects Biden calling Armenian events of 1915 ‘genocide’

Turkey on Saturday slammed US President Joe Biden’s decision to recognize the 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a genocide, saying the statement had no legal basis and would “open a deep” wound in bilateral ties.

“This statement of the US, which distorts the historical facts, will never be accepted in the conscience of the Turkish people, and will open a deep wound that undermines our mutual trust and friendship,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said, adding it rejected and denounced the statement “in the strongest terms”.

Turkey “entirely rejects” US President Joe Biden’s recognition of the 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a genocide, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, minutes after Biden’s declaration.

Biden on Saturday said the killings of Armenians constituted genocide, a historic declaration that is set to infuriate Turkey and further strain frayed ties between the two NATO allies.

“We have nothing to learn from anybody on our own past. Political opportunism is the greatest betrayal to peace and justice,” Cavusoglu said on Twitter. “We entirely reject this statement based solely on populism.”

Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Saturday the US should look to its own past.

“We strongly condemn and reject the US President’s remarks which only repeat the accusations of those whose sole agenda is enmity towards our country,” Kalin said on Twitter. “We advise the US President to look at (his country’s) own past and present.”