Pope’s acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey will not help efforts to establish peace and stability in the Caucasus region, Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement said that the Bishop of Rome again disappointed the Turkish people. At the same time the Turkish Foreign Ministry accused the pontiff of “bias” and “religion-based discrimination” against Turkey.

The fact that Pope Francis visited the memorial devoted to the Armenian Genocide, the remarks about the events of 1915, as well as wording in a joint statement with the Armenian Apostolic Church are unacceptable, the statement said.