ArmInfo.Official Ankara responded to annual address of US President Donald Trump attached to April 24.
''We reject U.S. President Donald Trump's statement dated 24 April 2019 with regard to the events of 1915. This statement, based on the subjective narrative fictionalized by Armenians, is of no worth. Distortion of history for domestic political considerations can never be accepted'', the statement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry informs.
At the same time the ministry states that allegedly more than 500 thousand Muslims were slaughtered by Armenian rebels in the same period and invited President Trump to be fair.
"Turkey is still behind its proposal to establish a Joint Historical Commission to shed light on all aspects of the events that took place 104 years ago.
Radical Armenians, who want to ensure their responsibilities in the events of 1915 are overlooked, do not show the courage to respond positively to this proposal.
On this occasion, we commemorate with respect Muslims, Christians, Jews, and all other Ottoman communities who lost their lives during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire'', the statement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry reads.
To note, yesterday Trump made an annual appeal on the occasion of April 24. The American leader, as in previous years, abstained from using the term genocide, describing the events of 1915, instead using the Armenian term Mets Yeghern (Great Massacre). ''Today, we commemorate the Meds Yeghern and honor the memory of those who suffered in one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century. Beginning in 1915, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. On this day of remembrance, we again join the Armenian community in America and around the world in mourning the many lives lost. On this day, we also honor and recognize the work of those who tried to end the violence, as well as those who sought to ensure atrocities like this would not be repeated, like human rights activist and lawyer Raphael Lemkin. We recall the contributions of generous Americans who helped save lives and rebuild Armenian communities. As we honor the memory of those who suffered, we also draw inspiration from the courage and resiliency of the Armenian people who, in the face of tremendous adversity, built vibrant communities around the world, including in the United States'', the statement of the US President reads.