President Barack Obama on Thursday refrained from labeling the events of 1915 a 'genocide' in an annual commemoration statement, Anadolu Agency reported.
"This year we mark the centennial of the Meds Yeghern, the first mass atrocity of the 20th century," he said.
Despite pressure by Armenian lobbies', Obama preferred to call the events "Meds Yeghern" or "Great Calamity," a term Armenians use for the relocation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire due to security concerns during World War I.
Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. Turkey in turn has always denied "the genocide" took place. While strengthening the efforts to promote the "genocide" in the world, Armenians have achieved its recognition by the parliaments of some countries.