U.S. Congresswoman: Genocide issue must be addressed by Armenia, Turkey only

December 1, 2011 - 17:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The issue of the Armenian Genocide should be addressed directly by Armenia and Turkey, not the U.S. Congress, according to chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Turkish Star says.

“These violent acts were a great tragedy, but giving those massacres a proper historical recognition is a sensitive topic,” Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said.

In summer, 2011, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs with a vote of 43 to 1 adopted the Berman-Cicilline Amendment urging the Republic of Turkey to safeguard its Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties (H.Res.306).

On October 10, 2007, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs with a vote of 27 to 21 approved Armenian Genocide resolution (H. Res 106), however the bill was later opposed by the Republic of Turkey, and the administration of former U.S. President George Bush.