OBAMA BRINGS HOPES FOR WARMER RELATIONS TO TURKEY
By Tom Raum
AP
6 April 09
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — President Barack Obama said Monday he stood by
his 2008 assertion that Ottoman Turks carried out widespread killings
of Armenians early in the 20th century, finessing the sensitive issue
by stopping short of repeating the word "genocide."
"Well, my views are on the record and I have not changed views,"
Obama said, standing alongside Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed
by Ottoman Turks in the years leading up to and during World War I,
an event widely viewed by many scholars as the first genocide of the
20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide,
claiming the toll has been inflated and the casualties were victims
of civil war and unrest.
"The Armenian genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion,
or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported
by an overwhelming body of historical evidence," Obama said in a
January 2008 statement on his campaign Web site. "America deserves a
leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that president."
While not backpedaling from the 2008 statement, Obama was careful not
to repeat it. Instead, he praised Gul’s participation in negotiations
between Armenia and Turkey to "resolve a whole host of long-stan ding
issues, including this one."
Obama said he wanted to encourage those talks, not tilt them in favor
of one country.
"If they can move forward and deal with a difficult and tragic history,
then I think the entire world should encourage that," he said.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further
information.
AP’s earlier story is below.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — President Barack Obama said Monday he stood by
his 2008 assertion that Ottoman Turks carried out widespread killings
of Armenians early in the 20th century, finessing the sensitive issue
by stopping short of repeating the word "genocide."
"Well, my views are on the record and I have not changed views,"
Obama said, standing alongside Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed
by Ottoman Turks in the years leading up to and during World War I,
an event widely viewed by many scholars as the first genocide of the
20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide,
claiming the toll has been inflated and the casualties were victims
of civil war and unrest.
"The Armenian genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion,
or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported
by an overwhelming body of historical evidence," Obama said in a
January 2008 statement on his campaign Web site. "America deserves a
leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that president."