US House of Representatives Passes ‘Resolution Recognizing Armenian Genocide’

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The US House of Representatives, the lower house of the Congress, has overwhelmingly voted to recognize 1915 as Armenian Genocide.

The House, where the Democrats have the majority, has passed the "resolution officially recognizing Armenian Genocide" by a 405-to-11 votes.

The resolution foresees that the US recognizes and condemns the incidents between the years of 1915 and 1923 as a "genocide".

Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker from the Democrats, said that she was honored to vote for it "in solemn remembrance of one of the great atrocities of the 20th century: the systematic murder of more than 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children by the Ottoman Empire."

Resolution has three main points

"The Resolution Affirming the US Record on the Armenian Genocide" has resolved that the following three should be accepted as the US policy:

"To commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance;

"To reject efforts to enlist, engage, or otherwise associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide;

"To encourage education and public understanding of the facts of the Armenian Genocide, including the United States role in the humanitarian relief effort, and the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity."

It doesn't mean that genocide is recognized

The resolution passed by the US House of Representatives is not binding. In other words, it does not mean that the US government has officially recognized the 1915 incidents as a genocide.

However, this resolution marks the first time that a house in US Congress has designated 1915 incidents as genocide.

Referred to the relevant committee of the Senate, a date will be specified for the Senate to vote after it is discussed by the committee. If the Senate approves the Resolution, it will be sent to the President.

If the Senate requests that the Resolution be amended, it will be returned to the House of Representatives to be discussed and reviewed further. The resolution approved by both the US Senate and House of Representatives will be sent to the President for approval.

After these processes at the House of Representatives and Senate President Donald Trump will have 10 days to approve or veto the resolution.

According to US Constitution, in the event that a resolution vetoed by the President is approved by two thirds of US Senate and House of Representatives, the veto of the President will not have any validity.

Çavuşoğlu: They turn to antiquated resolutions

On the other side, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has denounced the resolution on Twitter:

"Ruined big game with the Operation Peace Spring. Those whose projects were frustrated turn to antiquated resolutions.Circles believing that they will take revenge this way are mistaken.This shameful decision of those exploiting history in politics is null and void for our Government and people."

Ruined big game
w/#OperationPeaceSpring. Those whose projects were frustrated turn to antiquated resolutions.Circles believing that they will take revenge this way are mistaken.This shameful decision of those exploiting history in politics is null&void for our Government&people.

— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) October 29, 2019

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

After the resolution passed at the US House House of Representatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also released a written statement on its official website. The statement has indicated the following in brief:

"The resolution which has apparently been drafted and issued for domestic consumption is devoid of any historical or legal basis.

"The resolution itself is also not legally binding. As a meaningless political step, its sole addressees are the Armenian lobby and anti Turkey groups.

"Those who felt defeated for not being able to forestall Operation Peace Spring would be highly mistaken should they thought that they could take vengeance this way. Since in the eyes of the Turkish government and the people, this resolution is totally null and void.

"There can be no further delusion than an attempt to rewrite history according to the "sense" of a political body." (TP/SD)