U.S. House retaliates against Turkey with "Armenian genocide"

The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to recognize the 1915 tragic events in the Ottoman Empire as an "Armenian genocide," taking advantage of the political conflict between Washington and Ankara.

The Democratic-controlled House voted 405-11 in favor of a resolution. Shortly after the vote, House lawmakers from both parties also overwhelmingly backed legislation calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Turkey over its offensive in northern Syria.

For decades, measures recognizing the "Armenian genocide" have stalled in Congress, stymied by concerns that it could complicate U.S. relations with Turkey.

Today, this tool was used for an understandable reason: the anti-Turkish sanctions draft prepared by the Democrats will most likely be blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate, so this part of the attack on Ankara will almost certainly be unsuccessful. That’s why the democratic majority in the House of Representatives received a resolution on "genocide", which has remained in the archives for a long time: the Senate is not required for its adoption. Thus, congressmen can report to customers that a blow has been inflicted on Turkey.

Of course, the Armenian nationalists and the Armenian authorities supporting them were not taken into account. The resolution was adopted at the initiative of their lobbyists, but not for their sake, but for the sake of provocation against Turkey. This fact deprives the event itself of any significant international consequences, besides the deterioration in Washington-Ankara ties, and it can be removed if President Donald Trump and the Republican Party view this resolution as an instrument of political bargaining with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

However, Turkey, as well as the whole world, is well aware that the only purpose of the ​​"Armenian genocide" idea was pressure on the Turkish authorities. This idea has never had official status at the international level; any Turkish proposals on joint Turkish-Armenian historical commissions for the scientific study of documents about those events are ignored by Armenia and its diaspora. In modern terms, it's a fake that Armenian nationalists are trying to convert to post-truth by any means.

But it doesn't make the "Armenian genocide" any less fake.

Well-known researcher of the history of the Caucasus and the Middle East Philip Ekozyants, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the myth of the 'Armenian genocide' in the Ottoman Empire is an American invention. "The American press was most involved in promoting this idea in the mid-1910s. The focus was on the Armenian population, although it is important to note that the concept of 'genocide' was created much later," he said in the first place.

"Reality did not correspond to American publications. There were many deaths on both sides, innocent Turks died just like innocent Armenians did. The local population equally suffered from war and internal strife, as well as looters and robbers who appear in times of any war. That is, the resolution of the House of Representatives is a continuation of pressure on Turkey. Look, the Americans can not just press, but also to use these pressure mechanisms. A hundred years ago they called the Armenian issue the main one, and the Armenians  - main victims, but the resolution on the recognition of "genocide" was backed only a hundred years later. They were first to scream about it, but waited for the right moment to come," Ekozyants stressed.

"Thank God that Turkey is moving away from American influence. I believe that the adoption of the resolution is connected with this: it’s an act of despair. If the U.S. had to resort to this, they’re doing very bad. Today, the "Armenian genocide" idea is trying to survive: access to information has changed so much over the past two decades, it has become so open that it’s very difficult to maintain people's conviction that the "genocide" took place. I can’t say that this idea is moving forward, only part of Armenians supports it. Those forces that invented the "genocide" are trying to save it in the minds of an ignorant public, I think this sad story is coming to an end," the historian said.

"I hope for the enlightenment of our people, the Armenians, because they need to free themselves from terrible dependence. The 'Armenian Genocide' is, in fact, a leash that was thrown at the Armenian people. Before this concept appeared, the Armenians were the scattered people like others, tied to a specific land, to their neighbors from other nations, and not to some historical state. When this choker was placed, it became much easier to manage people who consider themselves to be Armenians. The concept of 'Armenian genocide' is great evil for Armenian people,"  Philip Ekozyants concluded.