WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama on Saturday the anniversary of the massacre of Armenians in Turkey nearly a century ago by marked called it a "horrific" massacre, but briefly stopped by branding genocide.
In a written statement, Obama said that the 1915 killings of some represent "one of the worst atrocities of the twentieth century" 1.5 million Armenians. But he could use the third year in a row the word genocide to describe it.
As candidate for the Presidency vowed always to recognize the genocide to Obama, once in Office, take "principled obliged as a memorial to and ending genocide."
But declined since 2009 Obama use the word in the face of furious opposition from Turkey, a key NATO ally.
Most historians see the killings as the first genocide of the twentieth century, and accept the figure of Armenian 1.5 million deaths. However Government rejected Turkish State and long the concept, contending, that the numbers are inflated and say, there were many deaths on both sides as the Ottoman Empire in the first world war collapsed.
In his statement, Obama said "contested history the present destabilised and stains the memory of those whose living were taken." He said that America knows this by the dark chapter in its own history.
He praised efforts in Armenia and the Turkey ", promote a dialogue which confirms their shared history."
But Obama limited use of Armenian called for the killing, meds Yeghern, and homage "to the memories of those who perished."
He said that his point of view what happened the amended has, since the campaign, adding "a full, frank, and is the only acknowledgment of the facts in our interest."
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