OBAMA: ARMENIAN KILLINGS ‘GREAT ATROCITIES’

Azg
966/
April 24 2009
Armenia

President avoids use of word ‘genocide’ in recalling 1.5 million deaths

President Barack Obama on Friday refrained from branding the massacre
of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey a "genocide," breaking
a campaign promise while contending his views about the 20th century
slaughter had not changed.

he phrasing of Obama’s written statement attracted heightened scrutiny
because of the sensitivity of the issue and because the two countries
are nearing a historic reconciliation after years of tension. The
Obama administration is wary of disturbing that settlement.

Marking the grim anniversary of the start of the killings, the
president referred to them as "one of the great atrocities of the
20th century."

"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view of that history has not changed," Obama said. "My interest
remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of
the facts."

"The best way to advance that goal right now," Obama said, "is for
the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as
a part of their efforts to move forward."

For Obama, referring to the killings as genocide could have upended
recent pledges of a closer partnership with Turkey, a vital ally in
a critical region. Steering around the word, however, put him at odds
with his own pledges to recognize the slaughter as genocide.

Obama said the Armenians who were massacred in the final days of the
Ottoman Empire "must live on in our memories." He said unresolved
history can be a heavy weight. "Reckoning with the past holds out
the powerful promise of reconciliation," he said.

"I strongly support efforts by the Turkish and Armenian people to
work through this painful history in a way that is honest, open,
and constructive," he said.

Just on Wednesday, Turkey and Armenia said they were nearing a historic
reconciliation after years of tension. The Obama administration is
trying to be careful not to disturb that agreement.

Genocide scholars widely view the event as the first genocide of the
20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide,
contending the toll has been inflated and that the casualties were
victims of civil war and unrest.

Diplomatic efforts underway

The announcement of progress between Turkey and Armenia appeared
timed to set the stage for Friday’s White House statement. During
a trip to Turkey this month, Obama emphasized U.S. support for the
reconciliation efforts and avoided the term genocide in a speech to
the Turkish parliament. He said in response to an inquiry, however,
that he had not changed his views on the question.

Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday spoke by phone with Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian, and a statement from Biden’s office said
the vice president told him he welcomed Wednesday’s announcement.

"The vice president applauded President Sarkisian’s leadership, and
underscored the administration’s firm support for both Armenia and
Turkey in this process," the statement said.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties, and their border has been
closed since 1993 because of a Turkish protest of Armenia’s occupation
of land claimed by Azerbaijan.

In September, Turkish President Abdullah Gul became the first
Turkish leader to visit Armenia, where he and Sarkisian watched
their countries’ football teams play a World Cup qualifying
match. The Armenian government appears to be interested in further
talks. Armenian-American groups and supporters in Congress are focused
on passing a resolution that describes the killings as genocide and
argue that it should not undermine diplomatic efforts.

Gul said Friday in Ankara that he expected Obama to deliver a statement
that would reinforce the reconciliation talks.

"I believe that (Obama’s statement) should be one that is supportive
of our good intentioned efforts," Gul told reporters, according to
Associated Press.