Recognizing the Armenian Genocide

I’m currently taking Globalization and Human Rights and we recently talked about the Armenian Genocide and reasons for why countries have chosen to recognize or not recognize it. Today, the US still has not acknowledged the genocide.

During the Obama administration, Obama had promised in his campaign he would pave the path towards acknowledging the genocide; however, he failed to acknowledge it by the end of his term. Currently, one possible reason why the US has not addressed the genocide stems from our relations with Turkey. As the US currently has bases in Turkey, the US has continually been reluctant in acknowledging the genocide, realizing it would worsen US and Turkey relations. Furthermore, Turkey is one of the Middle Eastern nations that has adopted democracy and accepted western beliefs.

Overall, it seems very complicated whether the US should recognize the genocide. While there’s clear proof the Armenian Genocide took place, it may not be the optimal time in recognizing the genocide with America’s current involvement in the Middle East.