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Obama Presses Turkey to Acknowledge
Genocide
WASHINGTON—Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack
Obama (D-Ill.) pledged to continue his efforts to press
Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide in a strongly
worded statement submitted on April 28 to the Congressional
Record marking the 93rd anniversary of this crime against
humanity, reported the ANCA.
The statement by the Senator, who has been endorsed in the
Democratic primaries by the ANCA, was one of 30 remarks by
Senators and Representatives including those by Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Foreign
Relations Committee chairman Joe Biden (D-Del.), House
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and DCCC chairman Chris
Van Hollen (D-Md.). Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) offered
remarks at the April 23rd Armenian Genocide observance on
Capitol Hill.
“Armenian-Americans value Senator Obama’s consistent and
principled leadership in pressuring Turkey to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide and to end its shameful campaign to
deny this crime against humanity,” said ANCA executive
director Aram Hamparian. “He remains clearly the best
positioned to bring about real change, real action, and real
hope for an end to the cycle of genocide.”
In a statement issued to the Armenian-American community on
Jan. 19, Sen. Obama had noted that “America deserves a
leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and
responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that
President.”
Below are Sen. Obama’s remarks on April 28.
“Mr. President, last week, we paused in remembrance of the
Armenian Genocide, which was carried out by the Ottoman
Empire from 1915 to 1923. Nearly 2 million Armenians were
deported, and approximately 1.5 million of those deported
were killed.
“It is imperative that we recognize the horrific acts
carried out against the Armenian people as genocide and I
will continue to stand with the Armenian-American community
in calling for the government of Turkey to acknowledge it as
such. The occurrence of the Armenian Genocide is a widely
documented fact supported by an overwhelming collection of
historical evidence.
“I was deeply disturbed two years ago when the U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia was fired after he used the term
‘genocide’ to describe the mass slaughter of Armenians. I
called for Secretary Rice to closely examine what I believe
is an untenable position taken by the U.S. government.
“I will continue to push for the acknowledgement of the
Armenian Genocide, and I offer the Armenian people my
condolences.”
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