Erdogan calls on Biden to reverse Armenian "genocide" statement

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:06, April 27, 2021

The U.S. president needed "to look in the mirror" for his country's history before accusing the Ottoman Empire of "genocide," Turkish President Erdogan said.

ANKARA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on U.S. President Joe Biden to immediately reverse his declaration that designated the atrocities to Armenians during World War I as "genocide."

"I hope the U.S. President will turn back from this wrong step as soon as possible," Erdogan told reporters in his first comments since Biden's statement.

Biden on Saturday recognized the mass killing against Armenians more than a century ago as a "genocide."

He is the first U.S. president to use the term "genocide" in describing the 1915 events.

Erdogan said Biden's statement was "unfounded and unfair" and would hinder bilateral ties.

"We believe that these comments in the statement were included due to pressure from radical Armenian groups and anti-Turkish circles. But this situation does not reduce the destructive impact of these comments in bilateral ties," he stated.

The U.S. president needed "to look in the mirror" for his country's history before accusing the Ottoman Empire of "genocide," the Turkish leader added.

"If you say genocide, then you have to look at yourselves in the mirror and make an evaluation. The Native Americans, I don't even need to mention them. They are all out there," Erdogan noted.