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Trump administration says Armenian genocide bill does not change its position

Mike Pompeo
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The State Department said in a statement Tuesday that the Senate's resolution formally recognizing Turkey's genocide of the Armenian people does not change the Trump administration's position on the issue.

Why it matters: The statement will likely please Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has said that the Senate's resolution will harm U.S.-Turkey relations. Prior to its passage, three separate Republican senators blocked the resolution at the request of the White House.

What they're saying: “The position of the Administration has not changed. Our views are reflected in the president’s definitive statement on this issue from last April,” wrote State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus in a two-sentence statement.

  • Context: President Trump's April 24 statement commemorating Armenian Remembrance Day called the mass killings "one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century,” but stopped short of labeling them a genocide.

Go deeper: White House directed block of Armenian genocide resolution

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