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... his statement, issued on the traditional day to remember the massacres, avoids saying the word "genocide" at all costs but technically confirms his previous statements characterizing the massacres as such:
Just as the terrible events of 1915 remind us of the dark prospect of man’s inhumanity to man, reckoning with the past holds out the powerful promise of reconciliation. I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts.... The best way to advance that goal right now is for the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as a part of their efforts to move forward. I strongly support efforts by the Turkish and Armenian people to work through this painful history in a way that is honest, open, and constructive. To that end, there has been courageous and important dialogue among Armenians and Turks, and within Turkey itself.It's reminiscent of his refrain on torture: Acknowledge the facts, look forward, not back.
-- Tim Fernholz