"We are well aware of the pressure and the threats by Turkey in the Armenian Genocide issue," Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) Aris Babikian stated to the PanARMENIAN.Net journalist. "Fortunately Prime Minister of Canada does not cave in Turkey's blackmail. He stood firm to his principled stand vis-a-vis the Armenian Genocide issue," Babikian underlined. In his annual address in connection with the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Harper reminded the both chambers of the Canadian Parliament have adopted a resolution that recognizes the first genocide of the 20th century.

Canadian Prime Minister Harper was warned through diplomatic channels last week that "repeating these claims annually will not help in normalizing Turkey-Armenia relations and will harm Turkish-Canadian bilateral relations as well." "We hope that the Canadian PM will not repeat this year what he did last year," a high-level Turkish Foreign Ministry official said, the Turkish Daily News reports.