OBAMA REAFFIRMS PLEDGE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
AZG Armenian Daily
05/11/2008
Armenian Genocide
ANCA welcomes latest Obama-Biden statement calling for strong
U.S.-Armenia relationship
With just days left to the crucial November 4th presidential
elections, the Obama-Biden campaign reaffirmed its commitment to
Armenian Genocide recognition and a strong U.S.-Armenia relationship,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).A statement
titled "Barack Obama: Supporting U.S.-Armenia Relations," relayed
to Armenians for Obama Chairman Areen Ibranossian earlier today as
well as the ANCA, affirms that "The Armenian Genocide, carried out by
the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, resulted in the deportation of
nearly 2 million Armenians, and approximately 1.5 million of those
deported were killed. Barack Obama believes we must recognize this
tragic reality and strongly supports a U.S.-Armenian relationship that
advances our common security and strengthens Armenian democracy." The
statement goes on to note "Barack Obama strongly supports passage
of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106) and
will recognize the Armenian Genocide.""The ANCA welcomes further
reaffirmation of Barack Obama’s strong commitment to issues of concern
to the Armenian American community, including proper recognition of the
Armenian Genocide and fostering a strong U.S.-Armenia relationship,"
stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "ANCA chapters and
activists across the U.S. will continue, in these last days, to work
hard for the Obama-Biden ticket and the candidacies of the large
number of Senators and Representatives who have supported Armenian
American concerns."The Obama-Biden statement comes amid a flurry of
reports in the Turkish press regarding a meeting that supposedly took
place over the last several days between a senior Turkish official,
Ahmet Davutoglu, and a representative of the Obama-Biden Campaign,
after which Davutoglu called into question Obama’s commitment to
this core human rights issue.Last week, the ANCA formalized its
longstanding support for Barack Obama with an official endorsement of
the Obama-Biden campaign for the Presidency of the United States. The
ANCA had first endorsed Sen. Obama in January, 2008, leading up to
the critical super-Tuesday primary elections.