WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide which occurs on April 24, 2015.
“This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. As the world gathers on Friday to commemorate the victims, we must recognize the magnitude of these atrocities for what they are – genocide. It’s why I joined with my colleagues as a cosponsor of a Senate resolution regarding the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
“As Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I appeal to the Government of Turkey, the President of the United States, and other world leaders to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide and to pursue policies that uphold and promote the universal principles of human rights. Only through formal recognition and acknowledgement of this genocide can we begin to bring closure to this terrible chapter in human history.”
Co-sponsored by Senator Cardin, Senate Resolution 140 expresses the sense of the Senate regarding the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution calls on the President to work toward an equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relationship that includes the full acknowledgment by the Government of the Republic of Turkey of the facts about the Armenian Genocide. It also seeks to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide.
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