The Turkish government slammed President Joe Biden and other leaders Monday who recognized the Armenian genocide, calling them “worthless opportunist politicians.”
Biden released a statement Monday to mark the 108th anniversary of the start of the Armenian genocide, during which the Ottoman Empire killed between 800,000 and 1,500,000 Armenians, mostly Christian, to establish a Turkish and Muslim ethnostate. The Turkish government denies that the events that took place were a genocide, despite 34 countries across the world and an overwhelming majority of academics and historians classifying it as such.
Statement from President Joe Biden on Armenian Remembrance Day: Today, we pause to remember the lives lost during the Meds Yeghern—the Armenian genocide— and renew our pledge to never forget. https://t.co/yPfSPbJyRY
— US Embassy, Armenia (@usembarmenia) April 24, 2023
Two years ago, Biden became the first American president to recognize the Armenian genocide in a move that infuriated Ankara, a NATO ally. Monday, Biden said the U.S. must “recommit to speaking out against hate, standing up for human rights, and preventing atrocities.”
“The unfortunate statements that are incompatible with historical facts and international law regarding the events of 1915 are futile efforts aimed at rewriting history for political motives,” read a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry released Monday. “It should not be forgotten that 1915 events cannot be defined according to politicians’ personal agendas and their domestic political considerations. Such an approach can only lead to distortion of history. Those who insist on this biased approach will go down in history as worthless opportunist politicians.”
“Türkiye does not need to be lectured about its own history by anyone,” it continued. (RELATED: Greece Voices Outrage After Turkish President Threatens Missile Strike On Athens)
The Biden administration has butted heads repeatedly with Turkey despite the country being a fellow member of NATO, and the administration pursuing a deal to send them fighter jets. Recently-leaked intelligence from the Pentagon indicated that Turkey has been aiding Belarus and Russia in subverting sanctions that have been instituted since Russia invaded Ukraine, and Turkey has been a roadblock in expanding NATO to add Finland and Sweden to the alliance.