Schumer Calls for Nominee for Armenian Ambassador to Clarify His Position on Armenian Genocide

Schumer Calls For Nominee For Armenian Ambassador To Clarify His Position On Armenian Genocide

Despite the Murder and Forced Exile of Over One Million Armenians in Turkey from 1925-1923, Official Position of U.S. Stops Short of Recognizing it as Genocide

Schumer Concerned Current Ambassador Is Being Replaced Due to Correctly Acknowledging Armenian Genocide as 20th Century's 1st, Asks Nominee to State His Position

Concerned that the current U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John M. Evans, is being prematurely replaced halfway through his term because he accurately classified the Armenian genocide, "the 20th century's first genocide", U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today criticized the U.S.' official policy on the genocide and urged nominee Richard E. Hoagland to clarify his position on the matter. Convinced that the Ottoman Empire's killing and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 qualifies this horrific event as the 20th century's first genocide, Schumer sent a letter to Hoagland demanding to know his specific position on the matter and to explain the U.S.' official policy.

"For far too long, this Administration has played politics as they refuse to acknowledge the horrific Armenian Genocide as the 20th century's first genocide," said Senator Schumer. "Our current U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, took a leading role in recognizing the Armenia Genocide. I fear the nomination of Richard Hoagland will be a step backwards as he seems likely to reinforce the Administration's stubborn and ill-founded policy of denial."

Schumer is concerned that the U.S. Senate is reviewing Hoagland's nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia even though Ambassador Evans is only halfway through his term. It is believed that Evans is being replaced due to his statements describing the Armenian Genocide as the 20th century's first genocide. Evans' replacement has caused deep concern amongst human rights advocates and the American Armenian community.

Between 1915 and 1923, during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed and forced into exile, including women and children who were driven over the harsh terrain of mountains and deserts. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians were deported to relocation centers in Syria and Mesopotamia, leaving Armenia one-fourth of its original size. While the U.S. Government acknowledges the "mass killings" and "forced exile" of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians at the end of the Ottoman Empire, it fails to define the event as genocide.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination later this week. In a letter to Hoagland, Schumer posed several questions that he requested answers for in the coming days.

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=262559&&year=2006&