YEREVAN. - Armenian people will always be consistent in international recognition of the Armenian Genocide under Ottoman Turkey in the early 20th century and Ankara’s financial compensation for those crimes, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs Hrayr Karapetyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, during his visit to Armenian Genocide Memorial Tsitsernakaberd.

He stressed that the international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is a priority on official Yerevan’s agenda.

During World War I, the Turkish authorities accused Armenians of showing favor to Russia and used it as a pretext for declaring the Armenian population the nation’s enemy. Many historians consider the events in 1915-1923 as a state-sponsored massacre, genocide. The Armenian side claims over 1.5 million victims, half of the Armenians early in the 20th century.

Many states have recognized the Armenian Genocide. Uruguay was the first to do it in 1965. The Armenian Genocide has since been recognized by Russia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, as well as by 42 of the U.S. states. The Armenian Genocide has also been recognized by Vatican, the European Parliament, and World Church Council.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives approved an Armenian Genocide resolution on March 4.