Senator Robert Menendez pressed U.S. Ambassador-designate to Turkey, Francis Ricciardone, on a range of concerns dealing with America's increasingly strained ties with its NATO ally- Turkey, reported Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). U.S. policy on the Armenian Genocide, Cyprus, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate were on the agenda.

“I really think Turkey is an important ally but I also think that you can’t have, as the Chairman has talked about, the Ecumenical Patriarch and the school at Halki and the persecution of religious freedom. You can’t have this type of unique relationship that you want with the United States and vote against us on a critical question for the world like Iran. You can’t, ultimately, continue the most incredible militarization when there is no threat to Turkey in the division of Cyprus,” said Menendez, speaking during today’s confirmation hearing.

“I don’t understand how the Turkish leadership doesn’t understand that it is in its interest to move beyond that agenda or, for that fact, come to a historical recognition of what most of the world recognizes as it relates to the Armenian Genocide,” ANCA quotes the Senator.

According to ANCA, asked about recognition of the Armenian Genocide and Ricciardone “recited the State Department’s stock answer on the topic.”

“President Obama has spoken very forcefully about the events of 1915 as one of the worst atrocities of the 20th Century. He cited the number of 1.5 million people massacred, he used the word massacred, and marching them to their deaths. He was very forthright about it. Our aim of course is to do all possible to get a normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and a part of that clearly has to be a frank, full, and just acknowledgment of the history these two people, countries, share. And if confirmed, I will certainly be working for that to the best of my ability in every way possible,” Ricciardone said.