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