Biden calls 1915 Armenian events 'genocide' despite Turkey’s warnings

US President Joe Biden has called Armenian events of 1915 a “genocide”, despite Turkey's warning that the move disregards suffering faced by both sides.

Washington's move comes a day after Biden and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made first phone contact, since the US president assumed office in January, during which the two leaders agreed to hold their first bilateral meeting in June on the sidelines of a NATO leaders meeting in Brussels, Belgium. 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said on Thursday that Ankara will continue to defend the truth about the so-called Armenian genocide,

Ankara describes 1915 events as "tragedy" for both sides

Turkey's position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Turkey objects to the presentation of these incidents as "genocide," describing them as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia as well as international experts to tackle the issue.

In 2014, then Prime Minister Erdogan expressed condolences to the descendants of Armenians who lost their lives in the events of 1915.

READ MORE: Erdogan: Turkey will continue to defend truth about 1915 events