The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the US ambassador to Ankara over US President Joe Biden's admission that the 1915 massacres of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire constituted genocide.
The ministry added that it had conveyed to the ambassador a "strong reaction" from Turkey.
Biden had said earlier Saturday that the killings that took place in 1915 amounted to genocide, a historic declaration that infuriated Turkey and further strained relations between the two countries, members of NATO.
The Turkish ministry said in a statement that Deputy Foreign Minister Sadat Onal told the US ambassador David Satterfield that the statement had no legal basis and that Ankara "rejected it as unacceptable and condemned it in the strongest terms."
She added that the statement caused "a wound in the relationship that will be difficult to heal."
The spokesman for the Turkish presidency, Ibrahim Kalin, said that Biden’s statements were "disappointing" and "worthless" for Turkey.
In a statement on Saturday, Kalan affirmed his country's categorical rejection and condemnation of these statements, which "reflect the extent of these malicious circles whose only concern is hostility to Turkey."
Investigation Committee
He pointed out that "President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously called for the establishment of a joint commission to investigate the events of 1915, with the aim of saving a historical issue from the shadows of politics and malicious parties."
And he added, "However, those who fear that the historical facts will be revealed supported by documents and evidence did not respond to President Erdogan's call, and President Biden ignored these facts and took an unfair stance."
He pointed out that Turkey is the most prominent example in the culture of coexistence throughout history, saying, "For this reason, it has never avoided facing historical facts, as the losses that occurred during the First World War represent the common pains of the whole region."
In conclusion, Kalan stressed that Turkey will always defend its rights in the face of those who wish to distort historical facts.