On 29 October, the US House of Representatives passed the Resolution 296 by a vote of 405 to 11 condemning the Armenian genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire.  The Armenian Genocide Resolution establishes, as a matter of U.S. policy, 1) the rejection of Armenian Genocide denial, 2) ongoing official U.S. government recognition and remembrance of this crime, and 3) support for education about the Armenian Genocide in order to help prevent modern-day atrocities.

The resolution was introduced by several pro-Armenian U.S. lawmakers, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, in April this year. It reached the House floor after being backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Immediately after passing the Armenian resolution, the House voted overwhelmingly for a resolution calling on US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Turkey in regard to the operation “Peace Spring” in Syria.

“This was genocide and it is important that we call this crime what it was,” said the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel said as he presented the resolution to fellow legislators. He called on the US congressman to finally “set the record straight.” ″I welcome the House’s passage of Res 296, which recognizes and condemns the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23. By acknowledging this genocide we honour the memory of its victims and vow: never again,” tweeted former US Vice President Joe Biden.

The Armenian lobby in the US praised that finally this resolution passed after a long time of lobbying activity.  Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said that it spent decades campaigning for such a measure. Genocide resolutions drafted by pro-Armenian lawmakers have been repeatedly approved by congressional committees in the past. But they never reached the House or Senate floor because of opposition from former U.S. administrations worried about their impact on U.S.-Turkish relations.

“This Resolution is of profound significance in that it resolves to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance, to reject its denial and encourage the education and understanding of the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923 as a definitive example of genocide of the 20th century. Armenia profoundly thanks members of the US House of Representatives for their determined and impressive vote on House Resolution 296, which is an evidence of their overwhelming commitment to truth, justice, humanity and solidarity and to universal values of human rights. This Resolution is an important contribution to international efforts aimed at preventing new genocides and mass atrocity crimes anywhere in the world, which continue to shatter the conscience of humanity in the present,” read the official statement of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon the passing of the resolution.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also commented on the passing of the resolution. “I salute the US Congress historic vote recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Resolution 296 is a bold step towards serving truth and historical justice that also offers comfort to millions of descendants of the Armenian Genocide survivors. My heartfelt congratulations and admiration to generations of Armenian-Americans, whose selfless activism and perseverance were the driving force and the inspiration behind today’s historic vote. Never again!” he tweeted.

Turkish state officials condemned the passing of the resolution. The Turkish ambassador in Washington, Serdar Kilic, sent last week letters to House members warning that the resolution will “considerably poison the political environment between the United States and Turkey.” “The resolution which has apparently been drafted and issued for domestic consumption is devoid of any historical or legal basis," Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated after the vote. The statement also read that the resolution “is not legally binding” and was a “ meaningless political step, its sole addressees are the Armenian lobby and anti-Turkey groups” and that “the debate on the events that occurred in 1915 belongs to the realm of history, not politics.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also condemned the vote personally. “Those whose projects were frustrated turn to antiquated resolutions. Circles believing that they will take revenge this way are mistaken. This shameful decision of those exploiting history in politics is null and void for our Government and people,” he tweeted. A day later, the Turkish government summoned the US ambassador to Ankara for questioning about the passing of the resolution. Although Turkey accepts that many Armenians died in ethnic fighting and deportations between 1915-17 during World War I, it has rejected the label of genocide. The official Turkish standpoint is that it contests the figures, putting the death toll in the hundreds of thousands.

Governments and parliaments of 31 countries, including Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Russia, as well as 49 states out of 50 of the United States, the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches have recognized the events as a genocide.