Execution of Armenians set precedent for genocidal leaders: U.S. Rep.

April 15, 2015 - 10:59 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement on the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

“One-hundred years ago, Ottoman authorities began their calculated attack on the Armenian community. The cold, systematic execution of so many people, and the subsequent indifference by the international community, set a chilling precedent for other genocidal leaders of the twentieth century. There is no statute of limitations for such horrors. The need to atone for these atrocities remains as strong today as it was in 1915. The 1.5 million innocent men, women, and children whose lives were taken demand recognition,” Rep. Royce said.

“I urge President Obama to acknowledge those tragic events for what they were – the first genocide of the twentieth century. I also call upon Turkey to come to terms with this dark moment in its history to heal lingering tensions among its people, improve relations with Armenia, and promote stability in the region,” he added.

Photo. Getty images

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.