US-based Armenian lobby steps up ‘genocide’ recognition efforts

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

Congressmen Bruce Braley, Peter Defazio, Bobby Rush and John Yarmouth extended their support to the "genocide resolution," bringing the total number of the co-sponsors from both parties in the House of Representatives to 125, the Armenian Assembly of America, or AAA, said in a statement.  
 
Armenian lobby organizations, disappointed by U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to refrain from recognizing the 1915 incidents as “genocide” in his annual April 24 statement, have increased efforts to have their claims regarding the 1915 incidents recognized by the U.S. Congress.  

"Reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide will not be sidelined in the 111th Congress," AAA Executive Director Bryan Ardouny said in the statement. 

"The Assembly will continue to educate Members of Congress on the importance of H. Res. 252 and, through its activists across the nation, energize the community on the local level to contact their Representatives directly," he added.

The bill, titled, "The Affirmation of the U.S. Record on the Armenian Genocide," was introduced by four congressmen in March.

Turkey has warned that the introduction of the resolution could harm both efforts to improve ties with Armenia and bilateral relations with the United States.

U.S. lawmakers almost passed a similar resolution two years ago, but congressional leaders did not bring it up for a vote after intense pressure from then-President George W. Bush and top members of his administration.

The issue is highly sensitive for Turkey as well as Armenia. In the 1915 incidents, around 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.

However Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. The issue remains unsolved as Armenia drags its feet in accepting Turkey's proposal of forming a commission to investigate the claims.