With the rise across the Arab world this spring comes a new era of good feelings where perhaps old discords now give way to new hope that allows even Armenians to rise up and call upon President Obama to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide where 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Turks in what would become Hitler’s blueprint for the Holocaust later in the 20th Century.
Turkey continues to pressure the United States against such a measure threatening our strategic alliance once against the Soviets and then Bin Laden. Well those days are over and Turkey’s strategic importance is no more or no less than any other country and it is now time for justice to prevail with the President recognizing the genocide before the entire world. The people have waited long enough. This action requires no military action or vast expenditures of money it merely requires the will of the President to issue a few words.
Turkish acknowledgement, apologies and reparations must be forthcoming under pressure from Washington. After all, Turkey needs the West for its economic and national security interests. And its intellectual class would support such a measure.
Armenians have always said they can forgive but not forget and a simple acknowledgement by the President would ensure that all the people of our planet will also not forget but will forgive.