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Cihan News Agency, Turkey
April 24 2014
Obama again avoids use of 'genocide' for 1915 events
TR_ISTA - 25.04.2014 09:44:20
US President Barack Obama has again avoided using the term "genocide"
to describe the events of 1915, instead referring to them as 'Meds
Yeghern' (Great Calamity) in his annual address on the occasion of
Armenian Remembrance Day for the 99th anniversary of the mass
relocation.
In his statement issued on April 24, Obama called the killings "one of
the worst atrocities of the 20th century," using the same carefully
parsed phrasing as in previous years.
"Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Armenians everywhere, as we
recall the horror of the Meds Yeghern, honor the memory of those lost
and reaffirm our enduring commitment to the people of Armenia and to
the principle that such atrocities must always be remembered if we are
to prevent them from occurring ever again," Obama said.
"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view has not changed. A full, frank and just acknowledgement of the
facts is in all of our interests," he said in his statement.
As a candidate for president, Obama vowed to recognize the killings as
genocide when in office. But since his election, Obama has declined to
use the word in the face of strong resistance from Turkey.
He welcomed efforts of Armenians and Turks who work for the
acknowledgment and reckoning of the past, saying: "We continue to
learn this lesson in the United States, as we strive to reconcile some
of the darkest moments in our own history. We recognize and commend
the growing number of courageous Armenians and Turks who have already
taken this path, and encourage more to do so, with the backing of
their governments, and mine."
Statement by the President on Armenian Remembrance Day
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
April 24, 2014
Today we commemorate the Meds Yeghern and honor those who perished in
one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. We recall the horror
of what happened ninety-nine years ago, when 1.5 million Armenians
were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the
Ottoman Empire, and we grieve for the lives lost and the suffering
endured by those men, women, and children. We are joined in solemn
commemoration by millions in the United States and across the world.
In so doing, we remind ourselves of our shared commitment to ensure
that such dark chapters of human history are never again repeated.
I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view has not changed. A full, frank, and just acknowledgement of
the facts is in all of our interests. Peoples and nations grow
stronger, and build a foundation for a more just and tolerant future,
by acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements of the past. We
continue to learn this lesson in the United States, as we strive to
reconcile some of the darkest moments in our own history. We recognize
and commend the growing number of courageous Armenians and Turks who
have already taken this path, and encourage more to do so, with the
backing of their governments, and mine. And we recall with pride the
humanitarian efforts undertaken by the American Committee for Syrian
and Armenian Relief, funded by donations from Americans, which saved
the lives of countless Armenians and others from vulnerable
communities displaced in 1915.
As we honor through remembrance those Armenian lives that were
unjustly taken in 1915, we are inspired by the extraordinary courage
and great resiliency of the Armenian people in the face of such
tremendous adversity and suffering. I applaud the countless
contributions that Armenian-Americans have made to American society,
culture, and communities. We share a common commitment to supporting
the Armenian people as they work to build a democratic, peaceful, and
prosperous nation.
Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Armenians everywhere, as we
recall the horror of the Meds Yeghern, honor the memory of those lost,
and reaffirm our enduring commitment to the people of Armenia and to
the principle that such atrocities must always be remembered if we are
to prevent them from occurring ever again. (Cihan/Today's Zaman)
April 24 2014
Obama again avoids use of 'genocide' for 1915 events
TR_ISTA - 25.04.2014 09:44:20
US President Barack Obama has again avoided using the term "genocide"
to describe the events of 1915, instead referring to them as 'Meds
Yeghern' (Great Calamity) in his annual address on the occasion of
Armenian Remembrance Day for the 99th anniversary of the mass
relocation.
In his statement issued on April 24, Obama called the killings "one of
the worst atrocities of the 20th century," using the same carefully
parsed phrasing as in previous years.
"Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Armenians everywhere, as we
recall the horror of the Meds Yeghern, honor the memory of those lost
and reaffirm our enduring commitment to the people of Armenia and to
the principle that such atrocities must always be remembered if we are
to prevent them from occurring ever again," Obama said.
"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view has not changed. A full, frank and just acknowledgement of the
facts is in all of our interests," he said in his statement.
As a candidate for president, Obama vowed to recognize the killings as
genocide when in office. But since his election, Obama has declined to
use the word in the face of strong resistance from Turkey.
He welcomed efforts of Armenians and Turks who work for the
acknowledgment and reckoning of the past, saying: "We continue to
learn this lesson in the United States, as we strive to reconcile some
of the darkest moments in our own history. We recognize and commend
the growing number of courageous Armenians and Turks who have already
taken this path, and encourage more to do so, with the backing of
their governments, and mine."
Statement by the President on Armenian Remembrance Day
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
April 24, 2014
Today we commemorate the Meds Yeghern and honor those who perished in
one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. We recall the horror
of what happened ninety-nine years ago, when 1.5 million Armenians
were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the
Ottoman Empire, and we grieve for the lives lost and the suffering
endured by those men, women, and children. We are joined in solemn
commemoration by millions in the United States and across the world.
In so doing, we remind ourselves of our shared commitment to ensure
that such dark chapters of human history are never again repeated.
I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view has not changed. A full, frank, and just acknowledgement of
the facts is in all of our interests. Peoples and nations grow
stronger, and build a foundation for a more just and tolerant future,
by acknowledging and reckoning with painful elements of the past. We
continue to learn this lesson in the United States, as we strive to
reconcile some of the darkest moments in our own history. We recognize
and commend the growing number of courageous Armenians and Turks who
have already taken this path, and encourage more to do so, with the
backing of their governments, and mine. And we recall with pride the
humanitarian efforts undertaken by the American Committee for Syrian
and Armenian Relief, funded by donations from Americans, which saved
the lives of countless Armenians and others from vulnerable
communities displaced in 1915.
As we honor through remembrance those Armenian lives that were
unjustly taken in 1915, we are inspired by the extraordinary courage
and great resiliency of the Armenian people in the face of such
tremendous adversity and suffering. I applaud the countless
contributions that Armenian-Americans have made to American society,
culture, and communities. We share a common commitment to supporting
the Armenian people as they work to build a democratic, peaceful, and
prosperous nation.
Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Armenians everywhere, as we
recall the horror of the Meds Yeghern, honor the memory of those lost,
and reaffirm our enduring commitment to the people of Armenia and to
the principle that such atrocities must always be remembered if we are
to prevent them from occurring ever again. (Cihan/Today's Zaman)