Turkey criticizes Obama's address on Armenian issue

US President Barack Obama used the expression "Meds Yeghern" denoting "Great Tragedy" in Armenian language to mark the incidents of 1915 in a statement released on April 24. "Today we commemorate the Meds Yeghern and honor those who perished in one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century," Obama said, adding, "98 years ago, 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire." Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry criticized Obama's message in a statement issued April 24, saying the US president's approach only reflected Armenian views. "Issued under the influence of domestic political considerations and interpreting controversial historical events on the basis of one-sided information and with a selective sense of justice, such statements damage both Turkish-American relations, and also render it more difficult for Turks and Armenians to reach a just memory," the statement read.