Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday denounced US President Joe Biden’s recognition of the Armenian genocide as “groundless” and harmful to bilateral relations, AFP reports.
“The US president has made comments that are groundless and unfair,” Erdogan said in televised remarks, warning that they could have a “destructive impact” on Turkish-US ties.
According to Reuters, Erdogan called on Biden to immediately reverse his declaration that 1915 massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire constituted genocide, a move he said was upsetting and diminished bilateral ties.
In his first comments since the White House statement on Saturday, Erdogan said “the wrong step” would hinder ties and advised the United States to “look in the mirror.”
Yet the Turkish president added he expected to “open a new door” in ties and discuss all agreements with President Biden at a NATO summit in June.
President Joseph Biden officially recognized the Armenian Genocide on Saturday rejecting the longest-lasting foreign gag-rule in American history and dealing a major setback to Turkey’s century-long obstruction of justice for this crime.
“The American people honor all those Armenians who perished in the genocide that began 106 years ago today,” Biden said in a statement on anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
