U.S. support for Armenia's claims that the Ottoman Empire committed "genocide" against the community in 1915 resurfaced on Monday, the anniversary of what Türkiye calls the 1915 events. Shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden termed them the "Armenian genocide," Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu lashed out at Washington.

"Yet another attempt by political charlatans to distort history! Politically-driven statements cannot alter facts. Those intentionally persisting with misinformation are destined to be tagged as hypocrites in history. No one shall dare to lecture us on our history," Çavuşoğlu said in a Twitter post.

Biden's statement published on the White House website referred to "Meds Yeghern" (which is roughly translated as "Great Crime"), a term Türkiye disapproves, and said they "renewed our pledge to never forget" what he called the Armenian "genocide." "Let us recommit to speaking out against hate, standing up for human rights, and preventing atrocities. And together, let us redouble our efforts to forge a better future – one where all people can live with dignity, security, and respect," Biden said after mentioning "new lives Armenians were forced to begin in new lands including the United States."

In 2021, the Democrat president was the first in office to describe the 1915 events as "genocide." In an attempt to limit the expected uproar from its NATO ally, Biden had reportedly informed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of his intent to issue the statement in question during their call on Friday. With that acknowledgment, Biden followed through on a campaign promise he made a year ago. Mainly hailing from Ottoman Armenian backgrounds, Armenians in the U.S. constitute significant communities on the East Coast and California.

Türkiye's position on the 1915 events is that the death of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties, added by massacres from militaries and militia groups of both sides. The mass arrests of prominent Ottoman Armenian politicians, intellectuals and other community members suspected of links with separatist groups, harboring nationalist sentiments and being hostile to Ottoman rule were assembled in the then-capital Istanbul on April 24, 1915, commemorated as the beginning of later campaigns. Türkiye objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide" but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Türkiye and Armenia, plus international experts to research the issue. In 2014, then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed condolences to the descendants of Armenians who lost their lives in the events of 1915 in a landmark statement.

Separately, the Foreign Ministry rejected statements made by government officials of some countries, saying that Ankara considers them "null and void," and condemned in the strongest terms those "who persist with this mistake." "The unfortunate statements that are incompatible with historical facts and international law relating to the events of 1915 are futile efforts aimed at rewriting history for political motives," the ministry said in a statement, adding Türkiye does not need to be lectured about its own history by anyone. It added that "the 1915 events cannot be defined according to politicians' personal agendas and their domestic political considerations." The statement further read: "Such an approach can only lead to distortion of history. Those who insist on this biased approach will go down in history as worthless opportunist politicians." Ankara also urged those who seek to derive animosity from history for shallow political considerations to support the joint history commission proposal and the regional peace and cooperation efforts led by Türkiye instead of repeating such "grave" mistakes.

Also on Monday, the ministry pointedly remembered "Armenian terrorism" of the past, which claimed the lives of many Turkish diplomats.

"We condemn the Armenian terrorism that led to the assassination of many members of our Ministry based on unfounded allegations distorting history. We commemorate our martyrs with respect and gratitude. May Allah's mercy be upon them!" the Foreign Ministry said on Twitter. In an infographic, the ministry also shared the names of the victims.

Since the 1970s, Armenian terrorist groups have killed 31 Turkish diplomats and family members. The vast majority of the attacks were carried out by two terrorist groups, the so-called "Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA)" and the so-called "Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG)." ASALA, founded in 1975, was the first Armenian terrorist group to wage war against Türkiye, and the JCAG was founded the same year in Beirut. ASALA not only targeted Türkiye but also other countries and became infamous for a 1975 bomb attack on the Beirut office of the World Council of Churches. The JCAG, which claimed that it only received support from the Armenian diaspora rather than foreign partners, only targeted Türkiye because it believed attacking other countries would damage the so-called "Armenian struggle."