OBAMA RECALLED "MEDS YEGHERN" IN ARMENIAN-"GENOCIDE"
news.am
April 26 2010
Armenia
"In his just issued April 24, 2010 statement, President Barack Obama
commemorated the victims of the Armenian Genocide, reiterated that his
view on the Armenian Genocide has not changed, expanded on his 2009
statement, and again used the Armenian term for the Armenian Genocide
Meds Yeghern," reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
"April 24 of each year marks the date when the Ottoman Turkish Empire
began the elimination of Christian Armenians in the first genocide of
the 20th century. In today’s statement, President Obama said ‘I have
consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view
of that history has not changed. It is in all of our interest to see
the achievement a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts.
The Meds Yeghern is a devastating chapter in the history of the
Armenian people, and we must keep its memory alive in honor of those
who were murdered and so that we do not repeat the grave mistakes of
the past,’ the source says.
‘This statement was issued in the environment of an increasingly
widespread well-funded denial campaign by the Turkish government,
Prime Minister Erdogan’s threat to deport Armenians living in Turkey,
and the suspension of signed agreements to normalize Turkish-Armenian
relations because of Turkey’s non-compliance with the Swiss brokered
deal heavily supported by the United States, Russia, France and the
European Union,’ AAA statement reads.
‘Earlier this month, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the Diocese
of the Armenian Church (Eastern), the Diocese of the Armenian Church
(Western) and the Assembly in a joint statement urged President Obama
to use the English term rather than employ the Armenian term for the
Armenian Genocide in his April 24 statement.
‘We have long stated that U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide
should not be held hostage to Armenia-Turkey relations. In 1981,
President Reagan clearly reaffirmed the U.S. position when in his
April 22 Proclamation, he used the English term–Armenian Genocide,"
stated the Assembly’s Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "Unequivocal
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide will also further the cause
of genocide prevention worldwide and be more faithful to American
principles," Ardouny continued.
Other Presidents have used dictionary definitions of genocide or
incorporated the term Armenian Genocide by reference, but have
yielded to Turkish threats and refrained from being as explicit as
President Reagan.
President George W. Bush, for example, described the Armenian Genocide
as "forced exile, murder, and annihilation," and incorporated the
term Armenian Genocide by reference, while President Bill Clinton
used "the senseless deportations" and "massacres." President George
H. W. Bush talked about the U.S. response for the victims "of the
crime against humanity" and President Jimmy Carter said "there was a
concerted effort made to eliminate all the Armenian people, probably
one of the greatest tragedies that ever befell any group".
The Obama statement also included the following: "The indomitable
spirit of the Armenian people is a lasting triumph over those who set
out to destroy them," which is yet another way of covering the intent
element of the crime by indicting the architects of the Genocide who
"set out to destroy" an entire race.
In January 2008, then-Senator Obama stated: "As President I will
recognize the Armenian Genocide." In October 2008, President Obama
reiterated his views, "I believe that 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." President Obama not only incorporated those statements,
but again used the Armenian term "Meds Yeghern," over the objections of
Turkish officials. Earlier this week, one of Turkey’s leading Genocide
deniers, Member of Parliament and former Ambassador to Washington
wrote an open letter critical of a prior statement by President
Obama, stating "Although your statement omitted the highly charged
word ‘genocide,’ you twice employed the expression ‘metz yeghern’
(Meds Yeghern), which is the exact translation of &’genocide’ in the
Armenian language."