By Patrick Goodenough | April 26, 2021 | 4:28am EDT
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
(CNSNews.com) – As anticipated, Turkey’s government reacted angrily to President Joe Biden’s decision to recognize the mass killings of Armenian Christians a century ago as “genocide,” summoning the U.S. ambassador for a reprimand and accusing the U.S. of having bowed to the Armenian American lobby for opportunistic reasons.
For decades, Armenians have accused U.S. presidents of shying away from the politically sensitive term out of deference for Turkey, a strategically-located NATO ally.
But Biden’s move comes amid a slow, steady deterioration in the relationship under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a touchy and autocratic leader whose foreign and domestic policies have set off alarm bells in the West.
Turkey vows response to Biden s decision to recognize Armenian genocide
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Turkey Fumes Over Armenian Genocide Recognition, Which Comes Amid Damaged Relationship
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Apr. 25, 2021 2:42 PM
WASHINGTON – After Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to formally recognize the 1915 mass killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in modern-day Turkey as genocide, many are wondering what the move says about the state of U.S.-Turkish relations.
Experts tell Haaretz that while Saturday’s recognition may not doom relations between the two countries, it is a remarkable moment in itself and the latest marker in how far U.S.-Turkish relations have deteriorated over the years.
“The fact that Biden took this step is a reflection of how far [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan has changed the relationship over the past several years,” according to Merve Tahiroglu, Turkey program coordinator at the Project on Middle East Democracy in Washington. “That in itself is unprecedented,” she says.
Erdogan is MENA’s most popular leader, Arab Barometer finds Turkey s promotion of cultural heritage, including through its tourism and entertainment sectors, is one reason for Erdogan s popularity. However, the perception of the Ottoman legacy is gradually shifting from one of praise to one of condemnation toward Turkish policies.
In this handout picture released by the Turkish presidential press office, Turkey s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) and invited guests attend Friday prayers at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque during the building s first official prayers after being reconverted into a mosque on July 24, 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey.
April 20, 2021
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains MENA s most popular leader, according to new survey data released by the Arab Barometer this week to Al-Monitor.