Tweet
OBAMA MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN KILLINGS
Agence France Presse
April 24, 2012 Tuesday 1:47 PM GMT
US President Barack Obama on Tuesday commemorated the 1915 massacre
of Armenians by Ottoman Turks, calling for "a full, frank, and just
acknowledgment of the facts" of the "brutal" killings.
While denouncing the massacre of 97 years ago as "one of the worst
atrocities of the 20th century," Obama Enhanced Coverage LinkingObama
-Search using:Biographies Plus NewsNews, Most Recent 60 Daysdid
not use the term "genocide," but he implicitly called for Turkey to
acknowledge its role.
"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915. My
view of that history has not changed," the president said in a White
House statement issued on Armenian Remembrance Day.
"A full, frank, and just acknowledgment of the facts is in all of
our interests. Moving forward with the future cannot be done without
reckoning with the facts of the past," he said.
The White House statement came as thousands of Armenians staged a
procession to a hilltop memorial above the capital Yerevan to mark
the anniversary.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed during World War I
as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, a claim supported by several
other countries.
Turkey strongly denies the genocide allegations, saying 300,000 to
500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with
invading Russian troops.
Obama said the anniversary should "honor the memory of the 1.5 million
Armenians who were brutally massacred or marched to their deaths in
the waning days of the Ottoman Empire."
"As we reflect on the unspeakable suffering that took place 97 years
ago, we join millions who do the same across the globe and here in
America, where it is solemnly commemorated by our states, institutions,
communities, and families," the US leader said.
"Through our words and our deeds, it is our obligation to keep the
flame of memory of those who perished burning bright and to ensure
that such dark chapters of history are never repeated," the White
House statement added.
Agence France Presse
April 24, 2012 Tuesday 1:47 PM GMT
US President Barack Obama on Tuesday commemorated the 1915 massacre
of Armenians by Ottoman Turks, calling for "a full, frank, and just
acknowledgment of the facts" of the "brutal" killings.
While denouncing the massacre of 97 years ago as "one of the worst
atrocities of the 20th century," Obama Enhanced Coverage LinkingObama
-Search using:Biographies Plus NewsNews, Most Recent 60 Daysdid
not use the term "genocide," but he implicitly called for Turkey to
acknowledge its role.
"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915. My
view of that history has not changed," the president said in a White
House statement issued on Armenian Remembrance Day.
"A full, frank, and just acknowledgment of the facts is in all of
our interests. Moving forward with the future cannot be done without
reckoning with the facts of the past," he said.
The White House statement came as thousands of Armenians staged a
procession to a hilltop memorial above the capital Yerevan to mark
the anniversary.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed during World War I
as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, a claim supported by several
other countries.
Turkey strongly denies the genocide allegations, saying 300,000 to
500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife
when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with
invading Russian troops.
Obama said the anniversary should "honor the memory of the 1.5 million
Armenians who were brutally massacred or marched to their deaths in
the waning days of the Ottoman Empire."
"As we reflect on the unspeakable suffering that took place 97 years
ago, we join millions who do the same across the globe and here in
America, where it is solemnly commemorated by our states, institutions,
communities, and families," the US leader said.
"Through our words and our deeds, it is our obligation to keep the
flame of memory of those who perished burning bright and to ensure
that such dark chapters of history are never repeated," the White
House statement added.