Biden Officially Recognizes Armenian 'Genocide' ... First Time in 40 Years Since Reagan

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] U.S. President Joe Biden officially recognized the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of Turkey, as a "genocide" on the 24th (local time).

In a statement on the day, President Biden said, "We remember the lives of all those who perished in the Armenian genocide during the Ottoman Empire era," and added, "The American people honor all Armenians who lost their lives in the genocide that began 106 years ago today."

The U.S. president annually issues a statement on April 24, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, but this year's statement is distinguished by using the term "genocide" twice.

According to Bloomberg News, the last U.S. president to officially designate this event as a genocide was Ronald Reagan in 1981.

Since then, U.S. presidents refrained from using the term under pressure from Turkey, but President Biden has revived the word after 40 years.

Former President Barack Obama described it as "one of the worst tragedies of the 20th century," and former President Donald Trump called it "one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century."

Most historians recognize that from 1915 to 1923, the Ottoman Turks, the predecessor of modern Turkey, committed genocide against Armenians and other minorities. It is estimated that about 1.5 million people died and 500,000 were displaced during this event.

However, Turkey has not acknowledged the genocide itself, instead labeling it as executions or deportations and criticizing other countries that have recognized it as genocide.

President Biden had previously expressed his intention to recognize the Armenian genocide during last year's presidential campaign.

Anticipating Turkey's backlash, President Biden informed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an of his intention to recognize the genocide during their first phone call after his inauguration.

In his statement, President Biden said, "We affirm history," and added, "We do this not to cast blame, but to ensure that what happened will never happen again."

The U.S. administration has also expressed that relations with Turkey should not deteriorate over this issue.

According to AFP, a U.S. official described Turkey as an important ally in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and emphasized that the intent of this statement is not to criticize Turkey.

The official said that President Biden's statement focuses on the value of human rights in a principled manner and that there is no reason beyond that, including criticism.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.