(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.), Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today welcomed the committee’s passage of a resolution that labels the World War I-era killings of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. These atrocities, which occurred under the Ottoman Empire in Turkey, took place from 1915 to 1923.

Ackerman, during the committee’s debate of the measure, acknowledged the presence of two Armenian genocide survivors who are constituents from Queens. Both traveled to Washington to witness the proceedings. They included 95-year old Onorik Eminian and 98-year old Perouz Kaloustian. Both reside at the Armenian Home in Flushing. Aghavni "Aggie" Ellian, the home’s Executive Director and Alice Movsesian, a volunteer, attended as well. See enclosed photo.

“Do not banish truth from this stage” Ackerman urged his Congressional colleagues during the committee’s consideration of the legislation. “Some have said that there is a time for everything and everything in its season. But truth is never out of season. It is always the season for truth. For those who claim that the time to do this is wrong, I ask you look at the ladies sitting here in wheel chairs who had help getting-up this morning to get into those chairs and to get onto planes to come down here after living almost 100 years a piece. When should we tell them when to come back to this room for justice? Please consider the damage we would do to history as you cast your votes today.”

“This is not the time to study this” the Congressman continued. “The only thing that does is put it off to a future date when the timing will be bad as well. Please due your duty to honor justice. Honor the truth. Recognize history. There is no wrong time to do that.”

The resolution (H. Res. 106), which Ackerman cosponsored, calls on the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide.

“This is a very agonizing issue. I’m a big supporter of Turkey and Turkey is a very important ally that plays an important geopolitical role and a vital role in the war on terror” Ackerman also said during the debate. “Our friends in Turkey need to understand that they can get beyond this emotional issue. Turkey has to understand that they are no more the Ottoman Empire than today’s Germany is the Third Reich.”

“I think that full confronting of this issue by our Turkish friends will certainly enable them to move forward” Ackerman added. “We’ve heard from people who say that this will be very damaging to our efforts underway today. But more damaging than anything else would be the damage done by us denying the truth.”

The committee approved the resolution by a vote of 27-21. The measure now heads for a vote before the full House.

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