Türkiye condemns Israel's Armenian genocide recognition

Türkiye on Sunday condemned Israel's recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide, describing it as a "political decision" intended to divert attention from Israel's actions in Gaza, reports AFP, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

"The Israeli government, which has systematically persecuted the Palestinian people before the eyes of the entire world and is currently facing proceedings before the International Court of Justice over allegations of genocide in Gaza, is attempting to conceal its own crimes through the political decision it has adopted regarding the events of 1915," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Türkiye, which has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip—a charge Israel firmly rejects—continues to categorically reject the use of the term "genocide" to describe the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, has frequently condemned what he describes as Israeli "terrorism" in Gaza.

"Türkiye will continue to act decisively to put an end to Israel's expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region," the Foreign Ministry added.

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli government unanimously approved the recognition of the Armenian genocide amid heightened tensions with Türkiye. The measure must still receive approval from the Israeli parliament.

Successive Israeli governments had previously refrained from officially recognizing the Armenian genocide, largely to preserve relations with Türkiye, which was once one of Israel's closest strategic partners in the region.

The Armenian genocide has been recognized by the governments or parliaments of numerous countries, including the United States, France and Germany. Historians estimate that between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians were killed during the massacres carried out by Ottoman forces during the First World War.

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