Turkey's foreign ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador to Ankara over President Biden's recognition of the Armenian genocide, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Driving the news: Biden on Saturday said the systemic killing and deportation of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces in the early 20th century constituted an act of genocide, angering Turkey who rejected the declaration.
- "Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring," Biden said.
What they're saying: "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 in a statement.
- Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, tweeted that Turkey "strongly" condemns and rejects Biden's declaration. He encouraged Biden "look at his own history and present."
- Turkish officials conveyed the government's "strong reaction" to U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield, according to Anadolu.
Go deeper: Armenian prime minister praises Biden for recognizing genocide