Over an eight-year period, beginning in 1915, the Ottoman Turkish Empire systematically tortured and murdered 1.5 million Armenians and exiled more than half a million more.  In the years since, Armenian descendents have thrived in the United States and in many other countries, bringing extraordinary vitality and achievement to communities across this nation and throughout the world.  

Tragically, the Turkish government has refused to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and has made repeated attempts to exonerate itself of any wrongdoing through a shameful propaganda campaign.  The victims of the genocide deserve our remembrance and their rightful place in history.  It is in the best interests of our nation and the entire global community to remember the past and learn from these unfortunate events to ensure they are not repeated.  

Earlier this year, the European Union adopted a resolution affirming the Armenian Genocide, making it one of many official bodies, including the governments of Canada, Argentina, France, Italy, Sweden, and Belgium, to do so.  Now more than ever, the Genocide underscores our responsibility to help convey our cherished tradition of respect for fundamental human rights and opposition to such heinous atrocities.  Only through such recognition can the Armenian people hope to feel some measure of compensation for the ultimate injustice perpetrated against their nation.

As a proud member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, and an ardent supporter of Rhode Island's Armenian-American community, I will continue to encourage my colleagues to hold the Turkish government accountable for its actions and to honor the memory of those Armenians who suffered and perished nearly a century ago.