US President Joe Biden is expected to take a landmark step in recognizing the First World War-era Armenian genocide on Saturday.
Next Saturday marks the 106th anniversary of the Ottoman genocide. The descendants of the thousands of Armenians who were victims of the genocide have been pressuring the world to recognize it as genocide. However, Turkey is strongly opposed to the issue.
Biden took power in January, pledging special attention to human rights. On the eve of the expected announcement, he held talks for the first time with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday.
In a statement, the White House said in a statement that Biden had “called for constructive bilateral relations and effective management of differences through the expansion of cooperation.”
On Thursday, Erdogan called on his advisers to speak out against those who support the so-called “Armenian Genocide.”
However, the two leaders appear to want to avoid deteriorating relations. The White House says Biden and Erdogan will meet when they attend the NATO summit in Brussels in June. Meanwhile, Biden’s congressional allies unveiled the president’s plan to recognize the genocide, but Erdogan attended a virtual summit on climate change at Biden’s urging on Thursday. Erdogan and Biden agreed on the “importance of working together”, Turkey’s statement said.
Asked if there was a statement on the Armenian genocide, Deputy Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jalina Porter told reporters on Friday, “I expect an announcement tomorrow.”
