AHI Commends Pope Francis’ Recognition of Armenian Genocide

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) commends Pope Francis for calling the slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks the first genocide of the 20th century during Mass held April 12, 2015.  

According to the New York Times, “Francis said it was a duty of everyone not to forget the ‘senseless slaughter’ of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks from 1915 to 1923.” 

“We commend Pope Francis for demonstrating leadership by publically recognizing the Armenian Genocide as genocide,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “We call on the United States government to follow the pope’s lead and to describe and recognize the killing of 1.5 Armenians by the Ottoman Turks as genocide.”

This April 24 is the official date to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. AHI calls on Congress to pass H.Res.154, which calls “on the President to work toward equitable, constructive, stable, and durable Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey's full acknowledgment of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime against humanity.”  The resolution, introduced by U.S. Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL), has 55 co-sponsors.

World Leaders Must Recognize Pontian Genocide Too

Larigakis added, “We also hope Pope Francis and other world leaders follow the lead of the International Association of Genocide Scholars and recognize the Ottoman Turks’ slaughter of all Christian minorities during that time period, including Pontian and Anatolian Greeks and Assyrians as genocide.”

On December 15, 2007, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) voted overwhelmingly to recognize the Greek genocide. The IAGS resolution stated: “it is the conviction of the International Association of Genocide Scholars that the Ottoman campaign against Christian minorities of the Empire between 1914 and 1923 constituted a genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and Anatolian Greeks."

The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center and think tank that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.

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For additional information, please contact Georgea Polizos at (202) 785-8430 or at pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at https://www.ahiworld.org and follow us on Twitter @TheAHIinDC.