ANKARA
Turkey said remarks by US President Barack Obama made earlier on Tuesday to mark the alleged anniversary of the incidents of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire were regrettable.
"US President Barack Obama's April 24 remarks are regrettable and they are a distortion of historical facts," a statement from the Turkish Foreign Minister said.
The statement said Obama's remarks put forward a baseless stance that reflected the Armenian views over a painful moment of the joint history of Turks and Armenians.
Turkish Foreign Ministry also said remarks by French presidential candidates Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande over the alleged anniversary of the Armenian allegations on the incidents of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire were motivated by election tactics.
"This is just another example of abusing controversial historical issues for the sake of political calculations," the ministry said in a statement.
Obama's remarks
U.S. President Barack Obama used expression of "the Meds Yeghern" denoting "Great Tragedy" in Armenian language in his annual April 24 statement marking the incidents of 1915.
President Obama said earlier on Tuesday that many sufferings took place 97 years ago, and they were commemorated by states, institutions, communities, and families.
