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Armenian National Institute
1518 K Street, NW Suite M
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 383-9009
Fax: (202) 383-9012
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.armenian-genocide.org
PRESS RELEASE
April 3, 2006
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE DANIEL FRIED SPELLS OUT U.S. POLICY ON THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
"To foster reconciliation and peace based on an understanding of
history, not a denial of it."
Washington, DC - Speaking to an audience of Armenian-Americans gathered
in Washington for a national conference organized by the Armenian
Assembly of America and co-sponsored by more than a dozen U.S.-based
Armenian community organizations, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried called on "Turkey to reflect
more seriously about subjects which have been taboo for generations in
that country." He added: "We do not support...export of denialist
literature or positions. We do support efforts by Turkey to deal with
its history more seriously."
While continuing to avoid the term 'genocide,' and reflecting earlier
language used by President George W. Bush in his April 24 commemorative
statements, Fried applied what has been referred to as the dictionary
definition of the events: "murders on a mass scale, killings without
justification, deportations. Over 1.5 million people lost their lives,
innocent victims."
Admitting that the administration has "a policy which many of you
disagree with," the Assistant Secretary also stated that "the United
States government has never denied the events of 1915."
Stressing what additional steps Turkey needs to take, Fried remarked:
"We believe that the tragedy of 1915, the killings, is of enormous human
significance and its historical assessment should be determined not on
the basis of politics, but introspection among civic leaders and
scholars. This process has begun in Turkey where it needs to take
place."
Speaking about the pace of this process in Turkey, he went on to say,
however: "It is certainly not going fast enough to satisfy you. It is
not going fast enough to satisfy us."
He granted that "dealing with the history of the mass killings of
Armenians is painful for Turkey," but also expressed hope that it will
"bring greater understanding to Turks of their own history."
Fried also underlined the U.S. view that "a productive dialogue is the
best way to establish a shared understanding of history that honors the
victims of these horrific events."
In what appeared to be an oblique reference to the independent report
prepared by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) at
the request of the much-disputed Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation
Commission (TARC), Fried added: "It produced a serious look at those
issues which we have recognized officially."
Despite the implied State Department recognition of this report, Fried
also made it clear that the "U.S. position on events of 1915 has not
changed."
It may be noted that the ICTJ report, issued in 2003, reached the
conclusion that "the Events, viewed collectively, can thus be said to
include all of the elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the
[1948 Genocide] Convention, and legal scholars as well as historians,
politicians, journalists and other people would be justified in
continuing to so describe them."
The Assistant Secretary concluded his remarks by saying: "We will
continue to urge our Turkish friends to face difficult issues of their
past seriously, and we will urge Armenia to help the Turks make this
possible without ever sacrificing historical truth or your position."
A complete transcript of the March 27, 2006, statement and remarks made
by Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried may be viewed at:
http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/rm/63791.htm
T he Armenian National Institute is a Washington-based organization
dedicated to the study, research, and affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide. http://www.armenian-genocide.org
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
1518 K Street, NW Suite M
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 383-9009
Fax: (202) 383-9012
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.armenian-genocide.org
PRESS RELEASE
April 3, 2006
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE DANIEL FRIED SPELLS OUT U.S. POLICY ON THE
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
"To foster reconciliation and peace based on an understanding of
history, not a denial of it."
Washington, DC - Speaking to an audience of Armenian-Americans gathered
in Washington for a national conference organized by the Armenian
Assembly of America and co-sponsored by more than a dozen U.S.-based
Armenian community organizations, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried called on "Turkey to reflect
more seriously about subjects which have been taboo for generations in
that country." He added: "We do not support...export of denialist
literature or positions. We do support efforts by Turkey to deal with
its history more seriously."
While continuing to avoid the term 'genocide,' and reflecting earlier
language used by President George W. Bush in his April 24 commemorative
statements, Fried applied what has been referred to as the dictionary
definition of the events: "murders on a mass scale, killings without
justification, deportations. Over 1.5 million people lost their lives,
innocent victims."
Admitting that the administration has "a policy which many of you
disagree with," the Assistant Secretary also stated that "the United
States government has never denied the events of 1915."
Stressing what additional steps Turkey needs to take, Fried remarked:
"We believe that the tragedy of 1915, the killings, is of enormous human
significance and its historical assessment should be determined not on
the basis of politics, but introspection among civic leaders and
scholars. This process has begun in Turkey where it needs to take
place."
Speaking about the pace of this process in Turkey, he went on to say,
however: "It is certainly not going fast enough to satisfy you. It is
not going fast enough to satisfy us."
He granted that "dealing with the history of the mass killings of
Armenians is painful for Turkey," but also expressed hope that it will
"bring greater understanding to Turks of their own history."
Fried also underlined the U.S. view that "a productive dialogue is the
best way to establish a shared understanding of history that honors the
victims of these horrific events."
In what appeared to be an oblique reference to the independent report
prepared by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) at
the request of the much-disputed Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation
Commission (TARC), Fried added: "It produced a serious look at those
issues which we have recognized officially."
Despite the implied State Department recognition of this report, Fried
also made it clear that the "U.S. position on events of 1915 has not
changed."
It may be noted that the ICTJ report, issued in 2003, reached the
conclusion that "the Events, viewed collectively, can thus be said to
include all of the elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the
[1948 Genocide] Convention, and legal scholars as well as historians,
politicians, journalists and other people would be justified in
continuing to so describe them."
The Assistant Secretary concluded his remarks by saying: "We will
continue to urge our Turkish friends to face difficult issues of their
past seriously, and we will urge Armenia to help the Turks make this
possible without ever sacrificing historical truth or your position."
A complete transcript of the March 27, 2006, statement and remarks made
by Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried may be viewed at:
http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/rm/63791.htm
T he Armenian National Institute is a Washington-based organization
dedicated to the study, research, and affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide. http://www.armenian-genocide.org
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress