Transcript [PDF] - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

28
ing there was widespread killing of civilians, both Turks and Armenians.
The Ottoman troops suppressed the uprising, and had it
ended there this resolution would not be before us today.
The Ottoman Government, after putting down the uprising, decided
to put an end to what they saw as the Armenian problem.
The slaughter that followed, the slaughter of defeated and unarmed
people, mostly noncombatants, was a crime not just against
Armenians, but against humanity.
So because I am now confronted with voting for a resolution
about this many decades old issue, but I am confronted with a resolution
that is basically truthful, I cannot vote against truth. I
would add this, though, that this resolution is being supported
based on the belief that it will at long last close the book on an
issue that should have been resolved long ago. My vote and the
vote of my colleagues is not intended to create more conflict, but
instead to resolve it.
Specifically, this is a vote to set the record straight and to get
the issue resolved and behind us. This is not an endorsement of
reparations and a demand for which will not bring about healing,
but will open the door to new and unending conflict. This is about
the truth. It is not about reparations, which will not right a wrong
of 100 years ago, but instead will create more conflict today. Let
us resolve this issue, not open up new conflict.
With that said, I will vote for this resolution because it is truthful,
and the truth is also that Turkey is a friend and has been a
good and reliable ally, a nation of Muslims who represent a democratic
and moderate force in the Islamic world, but because they
are a positive and important force in the world and a friend and
have proven their friendship does not mean that we should refrain
from acknowledging the truth when we are confronted with it, especially
if it is a truth about a crime long ago.
But to basically refrain from acknowledging the truth when it is
there, you have to make that decision because it will upset a friend
is not a reasonable supposition. If Germany, which was so important
to us during the Cold War, would have been upset that we acknowledged
the Holocaust and it was suggested that I should vote
against a resolution acknowledging the Holocaust to spare Germany’s
feelings I would have rejected that notion and I would have
voted to acknowledge the Holocaust.
Today we reconfirm our commitment to truth, the truth of history,
and we offer a sincere hope as well that our friendship with
Turkey is strong enough to withstand the acknowledgement of a
darker moment in that country’s history. We have darker moments
in our history as well, as do every country. You get past those
darker moments and you shut the book by acknowledging the truth
of what wrongs were committed in the past.
America has committed wrongs in the past. That doesn’t mean
we need to dwell on it, but they need to be acknowledged in order
to correct it. So with that said I will be voting for this resolution,
and now that I have gotten both sides of this issue mad at me I
yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman BERMAN. The gentleman yields back the balance of his
time. The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Tanner, for what purpose
do you seek recognition
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