During their first telephone conversation they also discussed issues of common interest and agreed to meet in June

Biden briefs Erdogan on his intention to recognise the Armenian genocide

photo_camera AFP/BULENT KILIC - In this file photo taken on 22 November 2014, US Vice President Joe Biden (L) talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Beylerbeyi Palace in Istanbul

On Friday, Joe Biden and Recep Tayyip Erdogan held their first telephone conversation. According to the White House, the leaders discussed "issues of mutual interest and regional concern". Turkish media, on the other hand, have been more specific about the issues discussed. According to TRT, Erdogan asked Biden to stop supporting the Kurdish PKK militias in Syria. They also discussed Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey accuses of being behind the 2016 coup attempt. Gulen is currently in the United States and Ankara has called for his extradition on numerous occasions. According to US officials, Biden "conveyed his interest in a constructive bilateral relationship with expanded areas of cooperation and effective management of disagreements". With the aim of continuing talks, the two presidents have agreed to meet in June.

Joe Biden

Another issue that will undoubtedly further strain ties between Washington and Ankara is the Armenian genocide. Biden expressed his intention to recognise the 1915 massacres of Armenians as genocide. This important step, which will be a turning point in relations between Biden and Erdogan, began to be considered in March and will also have a major international impact. Biden would be the first US president in 40 years to publicly declare that the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were genocide. This gesture is expected to take place on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. "If the United States wants to worsen ties, the decision is theirs," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said of Biden's decision. 

Genocidio armenio

The large ethnic Armenian population in the US has long lobbied the government to recognise the genocide suffered by its people. The estimated number of citizens of Armenian descent in the country is between 800,000 and 1.5 million. Barack Obama considered the possibility of acknowledging it, but ultimately chose not to do so. The former Democratic president justified his decision by citing the need for a stable relationship with Turkey. Subsequently, Donald Trump refused to use the word genocide, describing the events as "one of the worst mass killings of the 20th century".

In addition to citizens, several politicians are putting pressure on the Biden administration to make the decision definitive. "The shameful silence of the US government on the historical fact of the Armenian genocide has gone on too long and must end," 100 members of the House of Representatives wrote in a letter to the president. Adam Schiff, a Democratic representative from California, led the letter. California is home to some 205,000 Armenians, making it the state with the largest Armenian population, followed by Massachusetts and New York.

However, the country's Turkish population has also expressed its views on the issue. Recently, the Turkish American Association (ATA-DC) called on President Biden to reconsider his decision. According to the organisation, "Turkish Americans would bear a disproportionate amount of social harm from such a decision". Moreover, they warn of the effect it will have on bilateral relations. The Turkish government agrees with the association about the damage to the countries' ties. 

Erdogan

The US may join the group of more than 20 countries that have already recognised the Armenian genocide, such as Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Brazil. However, within the country, 42 states have already recognised the genocide. Pope Francis has also referred to the massacres of thousands of Armenians as "the first genocide of the 20th century". Following these statements, Turkey recalled its ambassador to the Vatican and criticised the religious leader for his words. 

Genocidio armenio

However, some Turkish citizens have also dared to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. The celebrated writer Orhan Pamuk, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006, has been involved in numerous court cases for his statements on the subject. Article 301 of Turkey's penal code, "insulting the Turkish character", is used to condemn people who point to the massacres of Armenians.

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