This all occurs amid heightened tensions between the US and Turkey over the latter's invasion of Syria and purchase of a Russian missile system.
The Trump administration is rejecting recent bipartisan efforts in Congress to formally recognize the Armenian genocide, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raged over in recent days.
Responding to potential US sanctions over its recent activities, Erdogan on Sunday threatened to close down Incirlik air base, which hosts US forces and about 50 US nuclear weapons. The Turkish leader in the past week has also seemingly implied that Turkey could refer to the killings of Native Americans by the US government as"genocide" in response to Congress' recent efforts, according to a report from The Independent.
Story continuesTrump has stopped short of referring to the mass killings as 'genocide'In April on Armenian Remembrance Day, Trump in a statement stopped short of calling the World War I killings as genocide, instead referring to it as one of the "one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century." Trump's statement was consistent with years of US policy designed to avoid angering Turkey, a NATO ally.
Armenia has long said 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a genocide by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 during World War I. Turkey has rejected the characterization of the massacre as a"genocide," dismissing it instead as a messy aspect of the war. The Turkish government also estimates the death toll to be closer to 300,000.
The president could face similar criticism in Washington following Tuesday's announcement on the Armenian genocide, given the bipartisan sentiments leaning in the opposite direction.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lara Trump Says Impeachment Push Will Get Donald Trump Re-Elected (Exclusive)The President's daughter-in-law claims that the push to impeach Donald Trump is only going to push him right back into the White House — for four more years.
Read more »
Why are US military bases in Turkey so crucial for Washington?Turkey’s Incirlik air base alone has been a crucial military location for Washington’s overseas missions since the 1950s, holding at least 50 nuclear bombs.
Read more »
Turkey to protect sovereign rights via Libya dealTurkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Libya agreement is a vital step to protect Turkey’s sovereign rights
Read more »
Turkey deploys surveillance drone in northern CyprusFirst Turkish military drone lands in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus after North Nicosia approves Ankara’s use of the Gecitkale Airport for unmanned aerial vehicle flights
Read more »
Analysis: Turkey once again threatens to close U.S. basesOutraged by a resolution passed in the U.S. Senate labelling Ottoman-era ethnic cleansing of Armenians during WWI as an official genocide, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is threatening to shut down two bases in Turkey where U.S. soldiers are stationed 'if necessary'. 'If necessary
Read more »
Turkey urges ‘more equal burden sharing’ on refugeesTurkey’s foreign minister said Ankara has done its best for Syrian refugees in the country since the beginning of the Syrian war, but stressed the need for a “more equitable burden share” of refugees
Read more »