Obama says Meds Yeghern again, avoids term GenocideApril 24, 2011 - 02:53 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - President Barack Obama on Saturday marked the anniversary of the massacre of Armenians in Turkey nearly a century ago by calling it a "horrific" slaughter, but once again stopped short of branding it Genocide. In a written statement, Obama said the 1915 killings of some 1.5 million Armenians represent "one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century." But for the third straight year, he failed to use the word Genocide to describe it. As a candidate for president, Obama repeatedly vowed to recognize the Armenian Genocide once in office, vowing "a principled commitment to commemorating and ending genocide." But since 2009, Obama has declined to use the word in the face of furious resistance from Turkey, a key NATO ally. In his statement, Obama said "contested history destabilizes the present and stains the memory of those whose lives were taken." He said America knows this from the dark chapters in its own history. He praised efforts in Armenia and Turkey "to foster a dialogue that acknowledges their common history. " But Obama confined himself to using the Armenian name for the atrocities, Meds Yeghern, and paying tribute "to the memories of those who perished." He said his view of what took place hasn't changed since the campaign, adding, "A full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts is in all our interests." AP reported. 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. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |