Three Little Words. That’s all Turkey has to Say.

by Karen Topakian

Three small words. That’s all the Turkish government has to say. “We did it.” Or if that’s too hard. “We are sorry.”

They don’t even have to say they are very sorry. They just have to ‘fess up to killing between one and one and a half million Armenians.

They had a chance on Thursday, March 4, after the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 23 to 22 in favor of a resolution declaring the killing of Armenians in 1915 as genocide.

Instead they withdrew their ambassador back to Turkey.

And what did our leaders do?

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton urged the full House to not vote on the resolution. She also said that it could impede progress on normalization of relations.

President Obama urged Congress not to offend Turkey by voting for it. Offend. He actually used the word offend.

Though on January 19, 2008, he said, “As a senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.”

Then on April 24, 2009, the President of U.S. Barack Obama stated: “I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts.”

Somehow 11 months later acknowledging the genocide became an offense. To Turkey.