Daily Sabah, Turkey
Feb 22 2015
US congressmen to introduce Armenian genocide bill this week
RAGIP SOYLU
Four members of Congress in the U.S. last week invited their
colleagues to become an original co-sponsor of the Armenian Genocide
Recognition Resolution, which accuses the Ottoman Empire of committing
genocide in 1915 and asking President Barack Obama to pressure the
Turkish government to resolve the issue.
A letter addressed to U.S. congressmen, penned by Robert J. Dold
(Republican from Illinois), David Valado (Republican from California),
Adam B. Schiff (Democrate from California) and Frank Pallone (Democrat
from New Jersey), claims that the Ottoman Empire killed 1.5 million
Armenians between April 24, 1915 and 1923. “Forty-two U.S. states have
recognized the Armenian Genocide, as have 11 of our NATO allies. On
this special year, it is time for the United States government to
officially join with those voices standing against this genocide
denial. We can help bring closure to this longstanding moral issue
that continues to impact U.S. interests,” the letter read.
Representatives declared that they would be introducing the resolution
next Tuesday, Feb. 24 and the same language as in House Resolution 227
from the 113th Congress would be used.
House Resolution 227, which last year became obsolete, urged President
Obama to work toward durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon
Turkey’s full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences of
the “Armenian Genocide.”
The draft resolution also cites President Obama’s statements before
entering office, saying he held the conviction that the Armenian
genocide is not an allegation but rather a widely documented fact
supported by historical evidence.
Parts of the Turkish-American community was quick to show their
grievances about the initiative.
Ali Çınar, a Turkish-American community leader and also the president
of the Washington-based think tank Global Policy Institute, invited
his followers to pressure congressmen by calling the offices of
representatives and emailing them to make them stop pursuing the
official recognition of genocide.