Armenian National Committee of America
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SEN. ALLEN CALLS FOR U.S. RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
— Virginia Legislator: U.S. “Not Willing to Sweep History under
the Rug”
WASHINGTON, DC – In a principled stand for U.S. recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, Senator George Allen (R-VA), today, in his
capacity as the presiding officer of a Senate Foreign Relations
Subcommittee hearing on the Black Sea region, noted that the United
States “wants to have good relations with Turkey but we are not
willing to sweep history under the rug,” reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
The hearing, on “The Future of Democracy in the Black Sea Area,”
was held before the Subcommittee on European Affairs and featured
testimony by John F. Tefft, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State,
European and Eurasian Affairs; Bruce P. Jackson, President of the
Project on Transitional Democracies; Vladimir Socor, a Senior
Fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, and; Zeyno Baran, Director of
International Security and Energy Programs for the Nixon Center.
Senator Allen, during his remarks, also noted the chilling nature
of Adolf Hitler’s remarks to quiet the reservations of his military
staff on the eve of invading Poland – “Who, after all, remembers
the Armenians?”
“As he has done so often in the past – as a member of the Virginia
legislature, a U.S. Representative, Governor of the Commonwealth,
and now as Senator – George Allen has spoken with moral clarity on
the need to end any association with Turkey’s shameful policy of
genocide denial,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
“Armenians throughout the Old Dominion and around the nation
appreciate the Senator’s strong leadership on the issue of the
Armenian Genocide and the full range of legislative issues dealing
with Armenia and the surrounding region.”
Early in her testimony, Baran of the Nixon Center cited the
“deterioration in the U.S.-Turkey bilateral relationship.” She
went on to voice her opposition to the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, noting that its passage would harm U.S.-Turkey
relations. “Given the prevalent Turkish view that the U.S. is
running a campaign against Turkey, it would be very damaging if the
“Armenian Genocide” resolution passed Congress this year,” stated
Baran. “This year is the 90th anniversary of the tragic 1915
massacre and certainly Armenian diaspora groups would like to get
recognition. However, such a resolution would play right into the
hands of the growing set of anti-Americans and ultra-nationalists
in Turkey.”
“We are profoundly troubled that there remain voices whose recipe
for reining in the Turkish government’s increasing anti-American
policies is to reward Turkey by compromising our nation’s
principles stand against genocide,” said Hamparian. “American
leadership requires that we stand up for our values, not run away
from them.”
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From: Baghdasarian