“We remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring,” said President Biden in an annual message on the genocide’s day of commemoration.
The president, who campaigned on a ticket of recognition for the genocide, is the first American president to use the term genocide in their annual message. The statement soon received reaction from Turkey, which vehemently opposes the genocide label.
“We have nothing to learn from anybody on our own past. Political opportunism is the greatest betrayal to peace and justice,” said Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a tweet. “We entirely reject this statement based solely on populism.”
An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were victims of a wide Ottoman campaign beginning in 1915, the exact date to which the genocide ended is a matter of disagreement among people.
“The process of the international recognition of Armenian Genocide is irreversible. Armenia believes that the recognition and condemnation of the genocides is the first and important step of prevention of this crime against humanity in future,” Armenian Consul General in Erbil Arshak Manoukian told Rudaw English on Saturday, prior to the US recognition.
“In regard of the possible recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United States current administration, it is to be noted that it would become an important step, taking into the account that US will become third UN Security Council permanent member state to recognize Armenian Genocide, after Russia and France,” he added.
Every year, millions of Armenians commemorate the genocide, which saw the the systematic killing and deportation of members of the ethnic group, alongside other Christian minorities, namely Assyrians and Greeks.
Along with the Turks and other peoples, a number of Kurdish tribes, mainly as part of the Ottoman Army, participated in the killing of Armenians during the genocide. Other Kurds opposed the mass killings, hiding and sometimes adopting members of the ethnic group.
“I highly appreciate your principled position, which is a powerful step on the way to acknowledging the truth, historical justice, and an invaluable of support for the descendants of the victims of the Armenian Genocide,” reads a letter from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent to Biden.
“The recognition of the Genocide is a matter of truth, historical justice and security to the Republic of Armenia, especially in the light of the events that took place in our region last year.”
With reporting by Karwan Faidhi Dri
