Obama repeats call for recognition of Armenia massacre

U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday repeated a call for recognition of the massacre of 1 million to 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915.

Despite his past promises, the president again shunned the word of genocide in his latest observance of what he called "one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century."

"Ninety-eight years ago, 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their deaths in the final days of the Ottoman Empire," he said in a written statement.

"We pause to reflect on the lives extinguished and remember the unspeakable suffering that occurred," he noted. "We also remind ourselves of our commitment to ensure that such dark chapters of history are not repeated."

"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view has not changed," he added. "A full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts is in all of our interests."

The Turkish government has denied the genocide allegations, calling the perished victims of widespread chaos and governmental breakdown as the 600-year-old Ottoman Empire collapsed before modern Turkey was born in 1923.

According to Armenian historians, several hundred Armenian intellectuals were arrested overnight by the Ottoman Empire on April 24, 1915, most of whom were executed summarily while others were sent into exile.

Mass deportation of Armenians followed from the eastern regions of Turkey, and an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed from 1915 to 1923, historians say.

More than 20 countries and 43 U.S. states have officially recognized the Armenian genocide.

In his past statements to mark the occasion, Obama never delivered on his 2008 campaign pledge to label the massacre as a genocide, mindful not to anger a key NATO ally in a volatile region.

He again used Meds Yeghern, an Armenian term, to describe the first mass killings in the 20th century.

"Today we stand with Armenians everywhere in recalling the horror of the Meds Yeghern, honoring the memory of those lost, and affirming our enduring commitment to the people of Armenia," he said.