90th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide

90TH COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE -- (House of Representatives - April 26, 2005)

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide is fully documented in the U.S. archives and through an overwhelming body of firsthand, governmental, and diplomatic evidence. The only party denying the Armenian Genocide is the Turkish government.

As a young man, I remember learning about the Armenian genocide by listening to the experiences of the men and women who experienced it firsthand. Many of the survivors of this experience fled to the United States, and through time established communities throughout the country, including my district.

California is home to the largest Armenian-American population in the United States. The California State Assembly designated April 24, 1997 as ``California Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23, and for the Victims of the

Sumgait Pogroms of 1988 and Baku Riots of 1990.''

Morally, it is wrong for the American people to be complicit in the Turkish government's effort to deny the suffering and death of over 1.5 million people.

Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide sets a dangerous precedent that makes future genocides more likely. Adolf Hitler, while planning the Holocaust, silenced the potential reservations of his generals by asking: ``Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?''

As a Nation that values the freedom of speech and assembly, we must admit that this event occurred, and force Turkey to do likewise.

Additionally, we must ask the EU to refuse Turkey's application to join the EU until Turkey accepts their role in the genocide against the Armenian people.

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