Senators Bob Menendez and John Kerry pressed U.S. Ambassador to Turkey nominee James Jeffrey to explain the Administration's apparent renewed backing for Turkey's widely discredited push for a "historical commission" on the Armenian Genocide, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Communications Director Elizabeth Chouldjian told PanARMENIAN.Net.

"We want to share our special thanks with Senator Menendez for, once again, shining a powerful international spotlight on the Administration's policy of complicity in Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide," stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

"We are especially thankful for his incisive line of questioning regarding the State Department's flawed and inconsistent position on Turkey's self-serving proposal for a historical commission. A clear illustration of the bankruptcy of the Administration's policy on the Armenian Genocide was the nominee's convoluted response to the simple question, posed by Senator Menendez: 'If Turkey would be willing to recognize the Armenian Genocide, would the United States be willing to do so?'"

Senators Menendez and Kerry are members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and have veto power. Menendez has twice blocked Richard Hoagland's nomination as Ambassador to Armenia for his denial of the Armenian Genocide.