WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) released the following statement marking the 101st anniversary of the Armenian genocide: “On Sunday, we will remember the victims of the Armenian genocide, which began on April 24, 1915 with the detention of some of the leading figures in Armenian society and culminated in the murders of 1.5 million civilians over a four-year period.  Even a century later, this tragedy continues to bring tears to the eyes of millions

Responds to Obama’s Eight-Year Pattern of Missed Opportunities WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, in Turkey, a country whose government officially denies the Armenian Genocide and in a parliament where the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party called for the lifting of the immunity of elected parliamentarians of Kurdish origin, Garo Paylan, a parliamentarian of Armenian origin, had the courage to remind his fellow MPs of the dozen Armenian members of the Ottoman parliament whos

(ArmeniaNow) – The latest four-day Karabakh-Azerbaijan war also got its reflection in the Turkish press, once again prompting the rise of anti-Armenian sentiments in Turkey. Turkey’s leadership through pro-government media sought to express Ankara’s support to Azerbaijan. In parallel with the escalation of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Turkish president, prime minister, and foreign minister, on various occasions, stated that Turkey will continue to support Azerbaijan unt

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) called upon Members of Congress to withdraw from the Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans and the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus “in light of the pattern of behavior culminating in the military offensive admittedly initiated by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkish military, personnel, and equipment on April 2nd against Armenia and the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.” The Assembly’s letter high

Requests $15 Million to Armenia for Refugees Forced to Flee Genocide by ISIS WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 24, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) Executive Director Bryan Ardouny submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs where he outlined nine key policy priorities for the Armenian American community in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. Given Azerbaijan’s blatant ceasefire violations, the Assembly called upon t

By Emil Danielyan U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry responds to a question from the news media during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister at the State Department in Washington, February 29, 2016. (RFE/RL) – The leading Armenian American advocacy groups have praised the U.S. government for declaring that the so-called Islamic State has committed genocide in Syria and Iraq, but said Washington must also use the same term to characterize the 1915 Armenian Geno

Ruins from Adana Ferhattepe Church (Photo Courtesy of Anadolu Agency) By Siranush Ghazanchyan (ArmRadio) – Architects, art historians, and engineers have come together to save Turkey’s Greek, Armenian, and Jewish architectural heritage. The project is being organized by the Association for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, as well as Anadolu Culture – two initiatives that support different communities in Turkey. Project Coordinator Cagla Parlak said that they aimed to reac

(L-R): Armenian Assembly of America Western Region Director Arpi Vartanian and French Armenian historian Raymond Kevorkian By Sara Khojoyan (Armenia Now) – A country cannot be a nation if it does not know its past and has not analyzed it. With these words, renowned French Armenian historian Raymond Kevorkian opened his lecture in Yerevan on the evening of March 2nd. The lecture entitled “Analyze the History and Build the Future. The Example of Genocide Studies” was organized

(Hayernaysor) – Within the scope of the Anatolian Cultural Heritage Project, the Hrant Dink Foundation has listed the churches, synagogues, monasteries, schools, hospitals, and cemeteries built by Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and Jews in Turkey. Based on the results of the activities carried out over the past two-and-a-half years, the Foundation has listed 10,000 structures, of which 4,600 are Armenian, 4,100 are Greek, 650 are Assyrian, and 300 are Jewish. The Foundation ha

(L-R): Helping to celebrate the historic granting of the first Ph.D. in Armenian Genocide Studies to Khatchig Mouradian are Asya Darbinyan (doctoral student), Professor Taner Akcam, Armenian Assembly of America Board President Carolyn Mugar, and Anna Aleksanyan and Emre Cam Dagioglu (doctoral students). (Photo: Spencer Cronin, Clark University) Clark University is privileged to stand at the forefront in establishing the Armenian Genocide as a distinct focus of doctoral study,

(Index) – Pressure on Europe’s journalists as they do their jobs saw no let up during the fourth quarter of 2015, according to a survey of verified incidents of violations reported to Index on Censorship’s project Mapping Media Freedom. Between October 1 and December 31, 2015, Mapping Media Freedom‘s network of 19 correspondents verified 232 reports that were submitted to the database. Each report is reviewed for factual accuracy and confirmed with local sources before an inc

On January 11, 2016, the Joseph and Alma Gildenhorn Middle East Forum of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center hosted the event “Current Middle East Meltdown: The View from Israel,” moderated by Aaron David Miller, Vice President for New Initiatives at the Wilson Center. Armenian Assembly of America Communications Director Taniel Koushakjian asks Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Dore Gold about the recent delegation of the Knesset

By Siranush Ghazanchyan (ArmRadio) – The Head of the Armenian Mission to the OSCE, Ambassador Arman Kirakosyan referred to the 9th anniversary of assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink as he addressed the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on January 21. Ambassador Kirakosyan said he shares the expectations of OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović that the masterminds behind the murder will be brought to justice, which will demonstrat

Dawn Anahid MacKeen’s grandfather, Stepan Miskjian (left), is pictured with friends around 1910, just a few years before the Armenian genocide. (Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) (NPR) – Investigative reporter Dawn Anahid MacKeen’s latest story is one her mother always wanted her to tell. It’s about her grandfather and how he survived the 1915 Armenian genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians living in modern-day Turkey were killed. (Turkey doesn’t recognize the slaughter

By Ragıp Soylu (Daily Sabah) – While Turkey and the United States are trying to maintain their bilateral relations amid the atmosphere of crises in the region with many tactical and ideological disagreements over issues such as the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and recent deployment of Turkish troops to Bashiqa, Iraq, Turkish-Americans have shown their financial presence on Capitol Hill. Turkish-American political action committees (PAC), the financial arm of

By Melanie Nakashian (CivilNet) – Yossi Sarid, a rare voice among Israeli politicians, died from a heart attack on Friday, December 4 at the age of 75. Mostly known for his dovishness and relentlessly sharp criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, he was also a staunch supporter of Armenian Genocide recognition in spite of Israel’s official position of silence, a frequent and fearless critic of its hypocritical denial. He was lauded at his funeral on December 6 for be

Middle East Institute Center for Turkish Studies Gonul Tol moderating the keynote discussion with Kurdish HDP Co-Leader Selahattin Demirtas. By Danielle Saroyan Armenian Agenda Associate Editor ‪On December 3, during the Middle East Institute 6th Annual Conference on Turkey in Washington, ‪D.C., Armenian Diocese Archbishop Vicken Aykazian asked Kurdish HDP Party Co-Leader Selahattin Demirtas about whether or not he sees Turkey acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. “More than o

Map of the Armenian Genocide, which occurred in 1915. (Wikimedia Creative Commons, Sémhur) By Aram Ghoogasian (Daily Bruin) – It was my mistake. I didn’t have to walk to Bunche Hall after work on a Wednesday night to attend a meeting where I knew my fellow students would attempt to whitewash the Armenian genocide. But, being the fool that I am, I decided to witness first-hand what I had heard so many others talk about. That was a stupid idea. The organization hosting the eve

Selina Doghan is an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Interview by Arevelk.am, edited by the Armenian Assembly of America. 1. Can you comment on these elections, especially since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) secured a surprising victory? Do you think that the results mean a victory for AKP? Since the last elections, we passed through an extraordinary period. The president didn’t accept or respect the elector

By Professor Alexandros K. Kyrou Salem State University Last March, I attended a public event to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, titled “Armenia 1915–Auschwitz 1945: Small Nations and Great Powers.” The program was sponsored and organized by the Harvard Kennedy School European Club and the Harvard College Armenian Students Association, along with the Mashtots Chair of Armenian Studies at Harvard University and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. Giv