U.S. President Barack Obama again did not use the word "genocide" in his statement to mark the 95th anniversary of the mass killings in Armenia, leaving both Turks and Armenians dissatisfied.
Instead, he described the tragedy as a "devastating chapter in the history of the Armenian people," and urged to "keep its memory alive in honor of those who were murdered and so that we do not repeat the grave mistakes of the past."
"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. It is in all of our interest to see the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts," he said in a statement, published on the White House website.
He called on the two countries to repair diplomatic ties, which were severed, among other things, over differing positions on the massacre, which Ankara denies was an act of genocide.
After the Turkish genocide in Armenia was first recognized by Uruguay in 1965, many countries followed suit, including Russia. It was also recognized in 42 U.S. states, by the Vatican and the European Parliament.
Obama repeatedly promised during his election campaign to recognize genocide of Armenians. Yet for a second year as president, he refused to do so and activists from both sides were quick to express their disappointment.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said the U.S. president made "yet another disgraceful capitulation to Turkey's threats... offering euphemisms and evasive terminology to characterize this crime against humanity."
"President Obama faced a stark choice: to honor his conscience and commitment to recognize the Armenian Genocide or to remain an accomplice to Turkey's denial of truth and justice for this crime," ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian said in a statement.
"Sadly, for the U.S. and worldwide efforts to end the cycle of genocide, he made the wrong choice, allowing Turkey to tighten its gag-rule on American genocide policy," he added.
Turkish groups in the U.S. have also been quick with a reply, reproaching the president for failing to mention "the equally tragic loss of even more Muslim lives in this turbulent period."
"Where does the ethnic cleansing of Ottoman Turks from the Balkans, Eastern Turkey and the Caucuses with 5 million lost and 5.5 million refugees come on the President's list of "worst atrocities of the 20th century"? Do they also deserve at least an annual presidential remembrance from him, as he dutifully makes on this occasion every year?" the Turkish Coalition of America said in a statement.
The organization called on to recognize these "not to diminish Armenian suffering, but to respect all human loss... and to place the Armenian tragedy in its proper historical context."
WASHINGTON, April 25 (RIA Novosti)
