A picture from 1915 shows soldiers standing over skulls of victims from the Armenian village of SheyxalanARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM INSTITUTE/GETTY IMAGES
Richard SpencerFriday , 12.01am, The Times

Massacres of Armenians in Turkey during the First World War are set to be officially declared a genocide by the United States, according to aides to President Biden.

The move, which will infuriate Ankara and signals a further step away from traditional US allies in the Middle East, will “probably” be announced tomorrow, US media reported. The day is marked annually as the start of the massacres in 1915.

President Erdogan of Turkey was preparing his response last night. He called an emergency meeting of advisers, at which he said he would “defend the truth against those who back the so-called ‘Armenia genocide’ lie”.

He has repeatedly warned of dire consequences against countries that recognise the events of a hundred years ago as a genocide.