Overwhelming majority of scientists, international experts are unanimous on the fact that 1915 events in Ottoman Empire were Genocide, said Howard Berman — the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, opening hearings on Genocide Resolution.

He stated that Nobel Prize winner, Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk was persecuted in Turkey for recognizing the fact of Genocide. The Congressman stressed that archives of U.S., France, UK, and Russia, including Turkey’s allies during World War I – Germany, Austria and Hungary contain materials proving the fact of Genocide.

One of the scholars studying Holocaust said that Armenian Genocide resembles Holocaust. Moreover, in 1985 sub-commission of the UN Commission on Human Rights recognized that massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Empire are equal to Genocide, Berman noted. The Chairman stressed that over 20 countries as well as European Parliament recognized Genocide and U.S. must follow the lead. He also added that despite Turkey’s statements about terrible consequences of Genocide recognition by Congress, approval of non-binding resolution cannot affect U.S.-Turkey relations.

Congressman Ros-Lehtinen opposed the resolution, underlining that its passing will negatively impact Ankara.-Washington relations.

A.G.