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Israel's government on Sunday formally recognized the 1915 events as genocide in a move Ankara has described as politically motivated and warned could undermine normalization efforts between Türkiye and Armenia.
The Cabinet unanimously approved the proposal submitted by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, though the measure still requires parliamentary ratification.
The move breaks with Israel's decades-long policy of avoiding formal recognition of the 1915 events, a stance largely intended to preserve ties with Türkiye. Those relations have since collapsed over Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023.
Israeli attacks have killed over 72,000 Palestinians, displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.1 million residents, devastated much of the enclave's civilian infrastructure, and left the territory facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis marked by severe shortages of food, water and medical care.
Türkiye has since suspended most trade with Israel; joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) through a declaration of intervention; and repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, allegations Israel rejects.
On Friday, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz had denounced the planned recognition before the Cabinet vote, calling it "a provocation" aimed at masking Israel's actions in Gaza.
"We cannot accept this approach under any circumstances," Yilmaz told reporters. "These are attempts to cover up its own genocide and its own crimes. No matter what they do, what happened in Gaza took place before the eyes of all humanity. It has been recorded in history and will never be forgotten."
Yilmaz also warned that the initiative could weaken the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan while complicating ongoing normalization efforts between Türkiye and Armenia.
Last year, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan cautioned against allowing recognition of the 1915 events to become a geopolitical "bargaining chip" after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mistakenly claimed that Israel had recognized them as genocide.
"I do not want such an outcome," he added, making clear that Armenia did not share Netanyahu's position.
Türkiye rejects the characterization of the 1915 events as genocide, maintaining that the deaths occurred during World War I amid civil unrest, famine and disease, when both Armenians and Turks lost their lives.
Ankara has consistently called for the issue to be examined by a joint commission of historians rather than resolved through political decisions by foreign governments.
Israel's decision would make it the 35th country to officially recognize the 1915 events as genocide, joining 34 other countries, including the United States, France, Germany, Canada and Russia.
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