Barack Obama did not call 1915 events as "Armenian genocide" - UPDATED

25.04.09 09:55

US President Barack Obama urged Armenia and Turkey to continue normalizing relations.

"I support the efforts of Turkey and Armenia for normalizing bilateral relations",says the statement of Obama on the Commemoration Day of victims of "Armenians genocide" in the Osman Empire, held Friday.

"Together Armenia and Turkey can make peaceful, productive relations, leading to prosperity, possible. And at the same time Armenian and Turkish people will be stronger if they realize the commonness of their history and their human solidarity", says the document.

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24.04.09 23:14

According to CNN Turk, in his written appeal due to 1915 events US President Barack Obama did not call the "Armenians genocide". The head of the White House preferred to use a phrase "great tragedy", speaking of the events of early last century.

At the same time, he pronounced this word combination in the Armenian language. According to Turkish TV channel, Armenians themselves use the word combination "great tragedy" when speaking of the 1915 events.

Day.Az, Novosti-Armenia