Hurriyet: Ankara spent over $3 million to block Genocide resolution in U.S. Congress

March 14, 2011 - 15:25 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - According to Turkish Ministry of Justice, in 2010, Turkish government spent over USD 3 million to block Armenian Genocide resolution in U.S. Congress. As Hurriyet reported, last year, Turkish lobbying organizations in the U.S. were given the sum to disallow Genocide recognition.

The major part of the 3-millon budget was allocated to Gephardt Group lobbying organisation. In telephone conversation with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, State Secretary Hillary Clinton and other high-ranking U.S. officials, the head of the organisation urged blocking the resolution.

Vote on the H.Res.252 was blocked by former House speaker, democrat Nancy Pelosi, on December 23, 2010.

The Armenian Genocide resolution

The resolution affirming the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide (H.Res.252) was formally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Adam Schiff (D.-CA), George Radanovich (R.-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D.-NJ), and Mark Kirk (R.-Ill). On March 4, 2010 it was adopted with a 22-21 vote by the House Committee on Foreign Relations. A similar resolution was introduced in the Senate.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.