The U.S. should say ‘Armenian genocide.’ In fact, it’s done that before

To the editor: Your article about Pope Francis riling Turkey with the use of the word “genocide” to describe what happened to Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 fails to mention that the U.S. had recognized the Armenian genocide until 1951. (“Pope prays at Armenia memorial after denouncing genocide,” June 25)

Only when Turkey, as successor to the Ottoman Empire, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1952 did the U.S. government start to change its policy

This month, the German Parliament passed a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide, which is even more significant because Germany was an ally to the Ottoman Empire in the World War I. The refusal of the U.S. Congress to do the same sends a tacit message that as long as a country is an ally, committing genocide is permissible.

Noubar Ouzounian, Corona del Mar

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