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Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after reports that the Biden administration will formally recognize the century-old atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire against Armenians as genocide, marking the 106th anniversary of the atrocities that took the lives of 1.5 million Armenians beginning in 1915.  
 
“It’s long past time that the United States formally recognized the crimes committed against the Armenian people for what they were – genocide,” said Senator Markey. “I applaud the Biden administration for taking this step that many have pledged, but none have fulfilled. As we approach the 106th anniversary of the first genocide of the 20th century, we not only remember the 1.5 million Armenians who lost their lives, but embark on a new era in history in which the United States formally recognizes the atrocities committed against them.

“I and many of my colleagues have been calling for years for the United States to take this step of acknowledgment and place us firmly on the right side of history. The only way to seek to live up to the phrase ‘never again’ is to honestly and openly accept the past. The Biden administration has rightfully placed human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy and this step will send an important message to those around the world who think they can commit abuses without consequence. I thank the Armenian-American community for their decades of passionate advocacy in their fight for recognition, and I will continue to stand with them as we strive to heal the wounds of the past. Together we can build something positive, something hopeful, something good for the future – an Armenia that is respected and honored by its allies and neighbors.”

On March 19, 2021, Senator Markey joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and 35 colleagues in a letter calling on President Biden to become the first U.S. President to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.