Are We Aware of the So-Called Genocide Bill Being Prepared in the U.S. Congress? Turkish Analyst

The Turkish news outlet "HaberTurk" analyst Kürşad Zorlu has addressed the new bill regarding the teaching of the Armenian Genocide theme in the U.S. in his column. Writing for Ermenihaber, Zorlu states, "Are we aware of the so-called genocide bill being prepared in the U.S. Congress ahead of April 24?" He reminds that U.S. presidents have annual addresses on April 24. In 2021, when newly-elected President Joe Biden used the term "genocide," the issue seemed to enter a qualitatively new phase.

"It seemed that this would put an end to the pressures on Turkey stemming from the annual addresses hanging like a Damocles sword, but no, it evidently encourages the adoption of new decisions and regulations. One of them is about to be presented for President Biden's approval, should Congress pass it," the Turkish analyst writes.

He draws attention to the fact that the organization behind the bill is ANCA (the Armenian National Committee of America). The bill has been drafted by Congress members Carolyn Maloney (Democrat, New York) and Gus Bilirakis (Republican, Florida) based on resolutions adopted by the U.S. Senate back in 2019, concerning the teaching of the genocide theme and the shaping of public opinion around it.

If the bill is adopted and comes into force, $10 million will be allocated to the Library of Congress over five years for educational purposes related to the genocide theme. The text of the bill mentions not only Armenians but also Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians.

"I don't know how Turkey's relevant institutions are combating this, but the number of Congress members supporting this bill is increasing day by day," the author expresses concern, fearing that actions taken in the U.S. educational system toward teaching the genocide issue, including curricula aligned with Armenian theses in schools, will in fact educate a generation that may hold a biased or even hostile stance toward Turkey.

Zorlu believes this process is more dangerous than the adoption of genocide resolutions in the parliaments of various countries. "It is worth examining and understanding what steps Turkey's relevant entities are taking to counter this threat with their own theses and to halt the process," he concludes the article.