US prepares to officially recognize Armenian genocide

President Joe Biden is preparing to officially recognize that the systematic murder and deportation of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire to modern Turkey more than a century ago was genocide., according to US officials.

The advance ruling, something Biden had vowed to do as a candidate, could further complicate an already strained relationship with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Administration officials have yet to report Turkey, and the US president may change his mind, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Armenian-American lawmakers and activists are pressuring Biden to make the announcement on or before Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day., to be held on Saturday.

One possibility is that Biden will include recognition of the genocide in the annual Remembrance Day proclamation that presidents often issue. Biden’s predecessors avoided using “genocide” in the proclamation commemorating the dark moment in history.

A bipartisan group of more than 100 members of the House of Representatives signed a letter to Biden on Wednesday asking him to become the first US president to officially recognize the atrocities committed by the then Ottoman Empire.. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff of California led the letter.

“The shameful silence of the US government on the historic fact of the Armenian genocide has lasted too long and must endr, ”the lawmakers wrote. “We urge you to keep your promises and speak the truth.”

Turkey’s foreign minister warned the Biden administration that the recognition would “hurt” relations between the United States and Turkey.

Biden, as a candidate, promised that if elected, he would recognize the Armenian genocide. “Silence is complicity”he said on this occasion. However, he did not offer a timeline for keeping the promise.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday that the president would have more to say on Remembrance Day on Saturday.

The New York Times Yes The Wall Street Journal they were the first to report that Biden is preparing to recognize the genocide.

If Biden goes ahead, he will almost certainly face rejection from Turkey., who managed to convince former presidents to avoid the problem.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu insisted earlier this week that Turkey was not concerned about any decision Biden might make, but also suggested such a move would face a backlash.

“If America wants our relationship to worsen, it’s up to them to decide“He said in an interview with Turkish news channel HaberTurk.

Biden and Erdogan’s relationship got off to a cold start. More than three months after starting his presidency, Biden has yet to speak with him.

Ties between Ankara and Washington, once considered strategic partners, have steadily deteriorated in recent years due to differences over Syria, Turkey’s cooperation with Russia and more recently over Turkish naval interventions in the eastern Mediterranean., which US officials described as unsettling.

Biden during last year’s campaign drew the wrath of Turkish officials after an interview with The New York Times in which he spoke of his support for Turkey’s opposition to “autocrat” Erdogan. Still, Turkey hoped to restore the relationship. Erdogan enjoyed a warm relationship with former President Donald Trump, who never touched on the history of human rights violations in Turkey.

Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, said he hoped Biden would keep his word.

Since his beginnings as president, Biden changed the tone of his predecessor and claimed the United States would be a greater force to speak out against human rights violations and promote democratic standards..

Gonul Tol, director of the Turkish program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, he said Erdogan’s influence had waned and that with the Turkish economy suffering, the Turkish leader’s reaction could be stifled.

“Biden has spoken of human rights abuses in countries around the world, including Turkey, but he didn’t go beyond his rhetoric.Tol said. “It is an opportunity for him to defend human rights.”

With AP information

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