Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 12 2014
US says acknowledges 1915 Armenian killings as ‘historical fact’
11 April 2014, Friday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM, Ä°STANBUL
The US State Department has said the position of the United States has
long been that it clearly acknowledges as “historical fact” and “mourn
the loss of 1.5 million Armenians who were massacred or marched to
their deaths” in the final days of the Ottoman Empire.
Speaking during a daily press briefing, spokesperson Jen Psaki
described the 1915 killings as “horrific events” and said they
resulted in one of the “worst atrocities” of the 20th century. “The
United States recognizes that they remain a great source of pain for
the people of Armenia and of Armenian descent, as they do for all of
us who share basic universal values,” she added.
Psaki’s remarks came an hour before the US Senate Foreign Relations
Committee’s voting on the “Armenian Genocide” resolution. The
committee passed the resolution, clearing the way for the resolution
to come on the Senate’s agenda.
When questioned about President Barack Obama’s statements when he was
a candidate, Psaki said candidate Obama has his own personal views
about this issue.
Psaki also noted that Washington continues to urge both Turkey and
Armenia to work together to achieve a full, frank and just
acknowledgement of the facts. She said the US believes that by working
together to address the shared history, Armenia and Turkey can promote
stability and prosperity in the entire Caucasus region. “So we
continue to work with them on that,” she stressed.
While the normalization protocols may not be moving forward at this
time, Psaki said, the US notes that both sides remain committed to the
process of normalizing relations and neither side has withdrawn.
“Our greatest interest on this issue is to see Armenia and Turkey heal
the wounds of the past and move forward together in a shared future of
security and prosperity in the region, and our policy is, of course,
naturally guided by that goal,” Psaki added.
From: A. Papazian