Turkey voiced regret
The official Ankara today voiced "deep regret" over U.S. President Barack Obama's April 24 address, slamming it as "one-sided".
"The statement distorts the historical facts. We find it very problematic and deeply regret it. One-sided statements that interpret controversial historical events by a selective sense of justice prevent understanding of the truth," as stated in the statement by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"We expect United States to facilitate the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia and not to make it more difficult. Despite all attempts to interfere with the writing of history...we will maintain our determination to reach a just memory and build a common future with Armenia," the foreign ministry statement said.
In an annual message commemorating the World War I massacres, Obama stopped short of using the "genocide" label that Turkey, a NATO ally, fiercely rejects, while urging "full" acknowledgement of the "horrific events".
"We wished that the president of the United States, our friend and ally, had shared the pain of the Turks as well and issued a message...with a fresh perspective," Foreign MIniter Ahmet Davutoglu said.
