US' Jeffrey summoned to foreign ministry over Obama statement

US Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey was summoned to the Foreign Ministry over the weekend to hear of Turkey's dissatisfaction with US President Barack Obama's recent message for April 24, the so-called Armenian "genocide" anniversary. Reportedly there was no official protest during the meeting, but ministry officials expressed Turkey's firm reaction to the statement. Ankara denies claims that Armenians were subjected to genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire, saying that the incidents of 1915 occurred when the empire tried to quell an Armenian revolt in cooperation with Russian forces then invading eastern Anatolia during World War I. During these incidents, many Turks lost their lives as well. In his statement, Obama did not use the English word "genocide" but called the incidents a great atrocity, and also employed an Armenian phrase which some say is equivalent to "genocide." Turkish leaders' reaction to the statement was negative. President Abdullah Gul said that the Turks who perished at the hand of Armenians should also be remembered and that everyone's grief should be shared. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the statement an unacceptable and untruthful interpretation of history, adding that historical issues should not be used as political fodder. Erdogan also warned that such statements could harm ongoing reconciliation efforts between Turkey and Armenia. Opposition party leaders also criticized the statement.