08 May 2010, 07:00
US Congress creates archive of Armenian families-survivals in genocide
The Congress of the USA has set up an archive of life stories of those Armenians who had survived the genocide of 1915-1923 in the Ottoman Turkey. Adam Shiff, a US Congressman and one of the authors of Resolution No. 252 on recognition of Armenians' genocide was the initiator of the archive.
Mr Shiff addressed the Armenians living in the USA with a request to send stories to his electronic address or to the address of his assistant Mary Ovakimyan "that happens with them and their families during the violence committed by Ottoman Turks, and how they managed to save from the genocide."
"Let us launch an archive of personal stories in the Congress of those who had lived through the genocide. Some of the survivors are still alive; and we can set up an archive of the facts of the first genocide of the 20th century in the Congress - an important source for historians," said Adam Shiff.
Making his comments on Mr Shiff's initiative, Namik Tan, Turkey's Ambassador to the USA, said: "If stories of Armenians-genocide victims are placed in the official report of the US Congress, Turkey will take response actions, and they will be much more broad-scale. We can tell same number of stories to the Congress archive as the Armenians."
Author: Lylyt Ovanisyan Source: CK correspondent