The US recognition of the Armenian Genocide is historic, with Joe Biden becoming the first incumbent US president to use the word "genocide" to describe the systematic massacre of Armenians by the Turks.
US presidents before Biden used terms such as "catastrophe" or "dark period of history" instead of "Armenian genocide" for the events of 1915. The word "genocide" is used twice in the White House announcement of the day. Memorial to the Armenian Genocide.
In the announcement, the Greek name of Constantinople stands out and not the Turkish name Istanbul, which has prevailed and is used in most countries of the world.
See the White House announcement:
"Every year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Armenian Genocide during the Ottoman period and we promise to prevent such atrocities. It began on April 24, 1915 with the arrest of Armenian intellectuals and leaders in Istanbul by the Ottoman authorities, 1,5 million Armenians were exiled, executed or marched to their deaths in concentration camps. We honor the victims of Meds Yeghern so that the horrific events are never lost in history. And we remember so as to remain vigilant against the corrosive power of hatred in all its forms.
Of those who survived, most were forced to find new homes and create new lives around the world, including in the United States. With strength and unwavering spirit, the Armenians survived and rebuilt their community. Over the decades, Armenian immigrants have enriched the United States in countless ways, but they have never forgotten the tragic story that brought their ancestors to our shores. We honor their history. We see their pain. We confirm their history. And we do this not to blame but to assure that such a thing will not happen again. "
Today, as we mourn what has been lost, let us look to the future - to a world we want to build for our children. A world that is not tainted by the daily evils of religion and intolerance, where there is respect for human rights and where all people can live their lives with dignity and security. Let us renew our common determination to prevent future atrocities from happening anywhere in the world. And let us seek the recovery and reconciliation of all the peoples of the world.
"Americans honor all those Armenians who died in the genocide that began 106 years ago."
Source: in.gr