Turkey and Azerbaijan are speaking out strongly against Israel’s move to formally recognize the Armenian genocide, following a unanimous vote by Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday. Both nations are calling on Jerusalem to walk back the decision before it reaches the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, for a final vote.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry took issue with the Cabinet’s action, stating, “The decision by the Israeli government concerning the so-called ‘Armenian genocide’ is a matter of serious concern.” The ministry went on to say that “The distortion of the historical facts surrounding the events of 1915, and the reduction of a complex historical issue to a political decision without a sound legal or scholarly basis, are unacceptable.”
Baku also warned the move would do nothing to strengthen its relationship with Israel, declaring, “Such actions do not contribute to reconciliation or mutual understanding. Instead, they deepen existing divisions and undermine efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region. We call on the Israeli government to reconsider this decision.”
Turkey, whose relationship with Israel has been strained since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, responded even more harshly, characterizing the proposal as a politically driven maneuver.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry stated, “The Israeli government, which has systematically persecuted the Palestinian people before the eyes of the entire world and is being tried at the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide against the people of Gaza, is seeking to cover up its own crimes through the political decision it has adopted regarding the events of 1915.”
Ankara added, “Turkey will continue to work resolutely to bring an end to Israel’s expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region.”
The proposal was put forward by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and received unanimous Cabinet approval Sunday. It formally acknowledges the mass killings of Armenians carried out under the Ottoman Empire and calls on Israel to stand against any attempts to deny or downplay those atrocities.
According to background text included in the proposal, the Armenian genocide began in April 1915 with the arrest, forced removal, and killing of hundreds of Armenian intellectuals, community figures, and educated leaders in Constantinople.
The document further describes how Ottoman authorities expanded the campaign, forcing Armenian men into labor before executing them, while women, children, and elderly people were sent on death marches toward the Syrian desert, where victims endured mass killings, rape, starvation, and dehydration.
The proposal estimates that around 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives and says the campaign wiped out a cultural and historical legacy that had existed across Anatolia for thousands of years. It also contends that despite extensive historical documentation, organized denial efforts persist — pointing specifically to what it describes as the manipulation of history books, primarily by Turkey.
The proposal notes that 32 countries have already formally recognized the Armenian genocide through parliamentary votes, legislation, or official government declarations.
