Joe Biden officially recognises the Armenian Genocide
24 April is the day of commemoration of the Armenian genocide. A date that commemorates the mass murder of the Armenian population under the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923. An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Young Turks. On this symbolic date, Joe Biden has decided to officially recognise the Armenian genocide.
"The American people honour all Armenians who died in the genocide that began 106 years ago today," Biden said in a White House statement. "Let us renew our shared determination to prevent future atrocities anywhere in the world," he added. This event will worsen ties between the US and Turkey, a key NATO ally. For this reason, previous presidents, such as Barack Obama, have chosen not to recognise the genocide. The former Democrat justified his refusal by citing the need for a stable relationship with Turkey. The Biden administration, given Ankara's previous statements and the implications of the genocide issue for Turkish society as a whole, is aware of the dissatisfaction it will cause in the country. "We are affirming history, we are not doing this to lay blame but to make sure that what happened is never repeated," Biden added in the statement, sending a clear message to Turkey.
Ankara, however, has already been angered by the decision. The Turkish government has recalled the US ambassador to Turkey, David Satterfield, for consultations. The government points to the "difficult-to-repair wound between the two countries". Erdogan, in his first statement on Biden's statement, denounced the "politicisation by third parties" of the debate on this historical period. "We will continue to defend the truth against the lie of the so-called Armenian genocide," Erdogan added. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also condemned Biden's decision. "We completely reject this statement based solely on populism," he wrote on his Twitter account. He also asserted that "they don't have to learn anything from anyone regarding their own past and history".
Criticism of Biden has come not only from the government, but also from other anti-Erdogan politicians. For example, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has "strongly condemned" the US administration's comments on what he calls "the events of 1915". Imamoglu considers this decision a "grave mistake that incriminates the Republic of Turkey". The social democratic mayor belongs to Turkey's opposition CHP party.
In Armenia, meanwhile, Biden's statement was welcomed. President Nikol Pashinian sent a letter to his US counterpart thanking him for the official recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. "The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United States is a much-needed message to the international community that reaffirms the primacy of human rights and values in international relations," said Pashinian.
This decision comes as no surprise to the international community, as Biden had on multiple occasions declared his intention to recognise the genocide. Even in a recent phone call with the Turkish president, Biden informed him of his intentions. In March, a bipartisan coalition of 38 senators urged the US president to recognise the Armenian genocide, a decision he promised on the campaign trail. "The US government's shameful silence on the historical fact of the Armenian genocide has gone on too long and must end," wrote several members of the House of Representatives in a letter to Biden.
In addition to political pressure, there is citizen pressure, as there are between 800,000 and 1.5 million citizens of Armenian descent living in the United States. Many of these citizens, between joy and emotion at remembering family members who suffered the genocide, took to the streets to celebrate Biden's decision. "We have been let down so many times. Our families have gone through so many April 24s where our hopes have been shattered," said Sophia Armen, a descendant of Armenian genocide survivors and co-director of the Armenian American Action Network. "My grandmother told me that I had to fight for this, fight for our family, fight for our people," said Nora Hovsepian, chair of the Armenian National Committee.
