Macron made the statement at an annual dinner for the Armenian community in France, organized by the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), honouring a campaign promise from his election in 2017.
While some countries acknowledge it without relying on any historical proof, Ankara does not accept the alleged "genocide" but acknowledges there were casualties on both sides during World War I, and also calls for an extensive historical research into the period.
Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide" but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy for both sides.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.
