Azernews.Az

A commemoration ceremony has been held at the US Congress on the occasion of April 24, "the anniversary" of the alleged mass killings of Armenians’ ancestors in the Ottoman Empire.
The ceremony began with prayers from Armenian clerics, Turkish media reported. It was reportedly attended by House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer as well as Congressmen Frank Pallone, Brad Sherman and Adam Schiff.
The lawmakers called on the US government to recognize the alleged genocide.
Pelosi began her speech by saying "tonight we are all Armenians". She claimed that it was important that the March 4 resolution supporting Armenian allegations on the 1915 developments, passed by the House Foreign Relations Committee, be adopted in the full House.
Congressman Sherman expressed interesting views on historical developments. "During the Cold War we saved Turkey from Soviet occupation and prevented the establishment of an independent Kurdish state. How much longer should we help Turkey?"
The meeting was attended by the Armenian ambassador to the U.S., a representative of the separatist republic being run in Azerbaijan’s Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region as well as an Armenian who is said to have been rescued during the alleged Ottoman-era mass killings.
Armenians claim Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million of their predecessors in the early 20th century. According to historians, Armenians residing in the Anatolia region began staging riots in 1890, which intensified during World War I, and fought against the Ottoman army in support of Russia. In an effort to end stand-off, the Ottoman government decided in 1915 to resettle the Armenians to other parts of the country. Armenians claim their forefathers were subjected to "genocide" in the process. Ankara dismisses the claims and has offered to research the events through a joint commission of historians.*