This has outraged the Armenian-American population, numbering about 1.5 million, who blame Turkey for the US’ continued denial.
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Turkey, however, rejects the term, saying they were casualties caused by the civil unrest in the Ottoman Empire.
George Clooney honoured the Armenians who died during the country’s genocide on Sunday (24Apr16) by joining President Serzh Sargsyan at a memorial in Yerevan.
During an award ceremony in Yerevan yesterday evening, the Hollywood heavyweight named Marguerite Barankitse from Maison Shalom and REMA Hospital in Burundi as an inaugural recipient of the Aurora Prize. (AFP)Among the mourners at the Tsitsernakaberd memorial was Samvel Balayan, a 63-year-old retired biology teacher, who said that “101 years on, Turkey had not renounced its plans to exterminate Armenians”. “Lots of people share your feelings and understand, still remember the genocide”, Lusine Hakobyan said.
George Clooney made his support of Armenia clear; his visit not only includes marching alongside Armenians to commemorate the genocide, but also in presenting the inaugral Aurora Prize: a $100,000 humanitarian award that recognizes individuals.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday commemorated the lives of Armenians lost in 1915.
Meanwhile, barricades were set up by police to separate the Armenian protesters from the Turkish supporters, who also held national flags and signs that read “stop hating”.
While most historians call it genocide, the Turkish government still hasn’t acknowledged it. Neither has President Barack Obama, although it was one of his campaign promises in 2008.
Animosity between the neighbors, whose border is shut, have flared this month after clashes between Muslim Azerbaijan and Armenian-backed Christian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inside Azerbaijan that is controlled by ethnic Armenians.
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More than 200,000 people of Armenian descent live in Los Angeles County, LA Times said citing USA census data. Turkey categorically denies genocide claims, arguing that in 1915-1917 Armenians were the victims of an epidemic.
