Biden prepares to declare Armenian massacre “genocide” at risk of breaking with Turkey

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Two people familiar with the decision said the president was expected to make the statement as part of an official statement on Remembrance Day, which falls on a Saturday. They both said it was possible that he would change his mind sooner, and issue a statement acknowledging only the event without calling it genocide.

U.S. officials have also sent signals to allies outside the administration who have been pushing for it to be officially declared that the president will acknowledge the genocide, a third person familiar with the matter said.

The Turkish government usually records complaints when foreign governments describe the event, which began in 1915, using the word “genocide”. They maintain that it was a time of war and that there were losses on both sides, and put the death toll at 300,000.

Both Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump avoided using the word genocide to avoid angering Ankara.

But Biden has determined that relations with Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which have deteriorated in recent years, should not prevent the use of a term that validates the situation. Armenians more than a century ago and signaled a commitment to human rights today.

The White House declined to comment on the decision when asked Wednesday. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration “would have more to say about Remembrance Day on Saturday.”

The United States and its presidents have consistently avoided using “genocide” to describe atrocities. But as a candidate, Biden said that if elected, “I pledge to support a resolution that recognizes the Armenian genocide and will make universal human rights a top priority for my administration.”

But similar commitments have not been met before. When Obama ran for president, he stated in a lengthy statement that he shared “with American Armenians (many of whom are descendants of a genocide survivor) a commitment to principles to commemorate and end genocide.”

But, like previous presidents, the realities of diplomacy intervened once he took office. During the eight years of his presidency, Obama avoided using “genocide” when commemorating the April event. With Turkey positioned as a key partner in the fight against ISIS terrorists, the issue seemed even less enjoyable.
In 2019, the Senate passed a resolution that formally recognized the massacres of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 as genocide. Prior to its passage, the Trump administration had asked Republican senators to repeatedly block the request for consent. unanimously on the ground that it could undermine negotiations with Turkey.
Trump tried to cultivate a friendship with Erdogan, even as relations between Washington and Ankara worsened by Turkey’s purchase of a Russian-made air defense system and alleged human rights abuses by backed forces. for Turkey in Syria.

Biden has not spoken to Erdoğan since taking office, although the Turkish leader is expected to take part in a climate summit of 40 world leaders that Biden convenes on Thursday and Friday.

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