“Allegations of a so-called Armenian genocide are political lies lacking any legal basis, contrary to historical facts. They are null and void for Turkey,” Ibrahim Kalin, Turkish presidential spokesman, said in a statement, Anadolu Agency reports. 

“Those who ignore Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call in 2005 to establish a joint historical commission to shed light on historical realities are trying to manipulate historical events,” Kalin added.

He also said that Macron, cornered by political woes and months of protests, is trying to rescue himself by using historical events as political fodder.

Turkey's position is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia in 1915 took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Ankara does not accept the alleged genocide, but acknowledges that there were casualties on both sides during the events of World War I.

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.

Turkey has also decried Western hypocrisy in alleging a genocide while ignoring their own dark history, including France's colonialist record in Algeria.

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