Wendy Sherman: “I thank the gentleman for yielding, and this is, indeed, a bipartisan speech. The fact is that many other countries have…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding, and this is, indeed, a bipartisan speech. The fact is that many other countries have recognized this genocide, and they have done so under tremendous Turkish pressure. For example, France was told that they would not be able to export to Turkey if they recognized the genocide. They did, and, in the subsequent 6 years, French exports to Turkey quadrupled. This genocide has been recognized by Argentina, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the list goes on and on. It is time for America to also recognize the truth. I look forward to the day, which is not true today, when scholars and individuals in Turkey can talk about the genocide and can come to grips with their own past instead of being threatened with incarceration for even mentioning this debate, because Turkey will not have the rule of law and democracy until you are free to discuss the first genocide of the 20th century on Turkish soil.”