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The United
States government, by recognizing and
officially commemorating the Armenian
Genocide can help ensure that the lessons of
this terrible crime against humanity are
used to prevent future genocides against the
Armenians or any other people. The 31 shaded
states below have, by legislation or
proclamation, recognized the Armenian
Genocide.
 The
single greatest obstacle to this recognition
is the Republic of Turkey. In spite of the
overwhelming evidence documenting the
Armenian Genocide, Turkey continues to
pursue a well-funded campaign in Washington,
DC and throughout the world to deny the
Genocide. Ultimately, the goal of the
campaign is to erase from world history the
1.5 million victims of Ottoman Turkey's and
later the Republic of Turkey's systematic
and deliberate massacres and deportations of
the Armenian people between the years 1915
and 1923.
Since 1982, successive Administrations,
fearful of offending Turkey, have
effectively supported the Turkish
government's revisionism by opposing passage
of Congressional Armenian Genocide
resolutions and objecting to the use of the
word "genocide" to describe the systematic
destruction of the Armenian people.
The Administration, rather than supporting
Turkey's denials, should pressure Turkey to
come to terms with its past. Acknowledgement
of the Genocide by Turkey, rather than
upsetting the regional balance, would in
fact decrease tensions and open the door to
improved Armenia - Turkey relations. As
Turkey's main ally, the U.S. is well
positioned to engage Turkey on this
important regional and human rights issue.
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