Turkey's Foreign Ministry fired back at Israel on Sunday after the Israeli government formally recognized the Armenian G...

Turkey's Foreign Ministry fired back at Israel on Sunday after the Israeli government formally recognized the Armenian Genocide, calling the move a political decision designed to distract from what Ankara describes as Israel's own crimes in Gaza. In an official statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry accused Israel of trying to "hide its own crimes" by adopting a position on the events of 1915. Turkey claimed that Israel, which is currently facing genocide proceedings at the International Court of Justice over its military campaign in Gaza, made the recognition move for political cover rather than historical conscience. Israel denies the genocide allegations related to Gaza. The timing of Israel's recognition drew an immediate and sharp response from Ankara. Turkey itself has long and firmly rejected the term "genocide" to describe the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during World War One, insisting the deaths were not the result of a systematic extermination campaign. The Turkish government has rejected that characterization for over a century. The exchange puts two countries already at odds over the Gaza war into an even sharper confrontation over one of the 20th century's most contested historical events. Israel's formal recognition adds it to a growing list of countries, including the United States, France, and Germany, that have officially acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has consistently lobbied against such recognitions at the international level. #Armenia #ArmenianGenocide #Turkey