Ed Markey: “I join Armenians throughout the United States and around the world on this solemn day of remembrance commemorating the…”

“I join Armenians throughout the United States and around the world on this solemn day of remembrance commemorating the genocide of innocent Armenian people perpetrated during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. On this day, the 84th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide committed in Ottoman Turkey from 1915 to 1923, it is crucial that we recall the horrific events of this dark chapter in world history and dedicate ourselves to preventing such atrocities in the future. History shows that in 1915 the systematic massacre of Armenian political, religious, and intellectual figures began. This slaughter continued until 1923, although the memories of this campaign of terror still haunt us today. From 1915-1923, the Armenian population was expelled from their homeland. One and a half million Armenians lost their lives and over 500,000 surviving refugees rebuilt their lives outside of Armenia, many of them coming to the United States to build their new homes. The Armenian-American population, many of whom reside in my district, have prospered in the United States and contributed to our cultural enrichment, enhanced our diversity and become strong members of our society. Despite the calculated effort to banish the Armenian people from their land and eradicate Armenian culture and tradition, today the Republic of Armenia is striving to establish a strong and progressive nation committed to establishing democratic institutions and ideals.”