Pakistan supports Turkey's thesis on 1915 events

Pakistan's foreign minister said on Sunday that Islamabad supports Turkey's thesis on 1915 events, against U.S. President Joe Biden's controversial remarks made this weekend.

In a phone call with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed Pakistan's support for Turkey's take on the events of 1915, said an official statement.

"We believe that one-sided approaches and political categorization of historical events could undermine trust and lead to polarization between nations," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement.

The statement also praised Turkey's constructive approach on the subject including Ankara's proposal for a joint historical commission to explore the facts.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry thanked Pakistan for its support, saying on Twitter: "Thank you brotherly Pakistan! Long live Turkey-Pakistan friendship!"

On Saturday, Biden called the events of 1915 a "genocide," breaking American presidents' long-held tradition of refraining from using the term.

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, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – Turkey's then-prime minister and current president – expressed condolences to the descendants of Armenians who lost their lives in the events of 1915.