The Senate unanimously passed a bill recognizing the Turkish genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in the early 20th-century, a move that will anger Turkey.
The bill, which had been blocked three times prior to a request from the White House, recognizes and condemns the slaughter of a century-old massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire.
The legislation was previously approved in the House by a 405-11 vote and is a rebuke to NATO ally Turkey, which has long lobbied for the killings not to be referred to as a genocide. Between 1915 and 1923, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians died.
The bipartisan legislation was co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
The resolution passed on its fourth go-around. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, and David Purdue of Georgia, all blocked passage of the bill at White House urging, but said they were no longer willing to do so.
Turkey has pulled its ambassadors from the United States over votes recognizing the genocide at just the committee levels in 2007 and 2010. The backing of the bill by the entirety of Congress is expected to create blowback from Turkey, whose relationship with the U.S. is already on the rocks after its invasion of Syria and attacks against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces.
“By passing my Armenian Genocide resolution, the Senate finally stood up to confirm history. What happened from 1915 to 1923 was — most assuredly — genocide. There is no other word for it. There is no euphemism. There is no avoiding it,” Menendez said emotionally on the Senate floor after its passage.
“To overlook human suffering is not who we are as a people. It is not what we stand for as a nation. We are better than that, and our foreign policy should always reflect this,” the New Jersey Democrat added.
Today, by passing my #ArmenianGenocide resolution, the Senate finally stood up to confirm history: What happened in Armenia was – most assuredly – genocide.
There is no other word for it.
There is no euphemism.
There is no avoiding it. pic.twitter.com/Kna92CZDcV
— Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) December 12, 2019
Fahrettin Altun, Turkish communications director, said over Twitter that the vote would damage the relationship between the two countries. He called the vote a “shameful calculation.”
“History will note these resolutions as irresponsible and irrational actions by some members of the U.S. Congress against Turkey,” Altun said. “They will go down in history as the responsible party for causing a long-lasting damage between two nations.”
History will note these resolutions as irresponsible and irrational actions by some members of the US Congress against Turkey. They will go down in history as the responsible party for causing a long lasting damage between two nations.
— Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) December 12, 2019
