A White House readout on Friday, which highlighted a recent conversation between US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left out any mention of the forthcoming recognition of the “Armenian genocide”.
The readout, however, mentioned that Biden hoped for a “constructive bilateral relationship” and further urged to find and expand areas where cooperation between the two states was possible while managing their disagreements, reported AFP.
Meanwhile, deputy spokesperson of the US State Department Jalina Porter said that an official announcement on the “Armenian genocide” can be expected on Saturday. The announcement is likely to solidify the US’ stance on the 1915 mass killings of Armenian and further strain its relations with Turkey.
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However, a similar readout from the office of Erdogan said that the countries had reached an agreement to build further cooperation. It read, “Both leaders agreed on the strategic character of the bilateral relationship and the importance of working together to build greater cooperation on issues of mutual interest”, reported AFP.
The administration has not confirmed the genocide recognition plans, but Biden promised during his presidential campaign that he would make the move.
Officials have hinted strongly at the announcement happening on Saturday — the annual day of remembrance for the mass deaths of ethnic-Armenians in 1915-1917.
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Turkey insists that the killings and expulsions of ethnic-Armenians in what was then the Ottoman Empire were not genocide but a result of the wider conflict in World War I, reported AFP.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned in an interview that Biden’s move would sour bilateral relations.
“If the United States wants to worsen ties, the decision is theirs,” he said.
Biden and Erdogan also agreed to meet in person during the NATO summit in Brussels this June.
