DANIEL FRIED CALLS THE GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS "ETHNIC CLEANSING"

ArmRadio.am
16.03.2007 12:50

US Assistant Secretary of State on Europe and Eurasia Daniel Fried
has declared that "the US Administration has never denied, has not
questioned or undermined the mass killing of Armenians and the historic
fact of that ethnic cleansing," Mediamax reports.

Daniel Fried said this, speaking in the Foreign Relations Committee of
the House of Representatives during the hearings on "American-Turkish
relations and future challenges."

"Possibly, the congress will pass the resolution characterizing
the mass killing of 1.5 million Armenians during the last years of
existence of the Ottoman Empire as genocide. US Administration has
never denied, questioned or undermined the historic facts of the mass
killing and ethnic cleansing. Every year on April 24 the Us Presidents
comes forward with a statement," Daniel Fried declared.

The Assistant Secretary of State said, "Our goal is to promote the
fair investigation of these terrible events by the Turkish society
to help Turkey reconcile with its own past and with Armenia."

"It’s not easy: for the United States it was also hard to accept
the black pages of its history. However, after long silence Turkey
demonstrates progress in this direction. This year more than 100
thousand of Turkish citizens attended Hrant Dink’s funeral," Daniel
Fried said. He mentioned that the Turkish President, Prime Minister
and Head of the General Staff have condemned this murder.

"We also see calls, including from the Turkish Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister, to amend Article 301 of the Penal Code. We welcome
the suggestions of Turkish leaders to amend or expel Article 301,"
the State Department representative said.

"We think that adoption of Res.106 in the US House of Representatives
will silence the voices which call to fairly investigate the past
for reconciliation with the history and Armenia. Members of the
Armenian community of Turkey counting 60-70 thousand tell us that
such resolutions will pressure the dialogue and can escalate a
wave of national tensions which will threaten their security. Our
aim is to open the soul and heart of Turkey although via painful
self-recognition," said Daniel Fried.