Your trusted source

The U.S. Senate unanimously adopted on Thursday a resolution recognizing the 1915 Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire.

The measure, approved without objection, is seen as a stinging rebuke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It also comes over numerous objections from the Trump administration, which has been working to defuse tensions with the Turkish leader in recent months.

Turkey has condemned the move and said it has put the relationship between the two nations at risk, National Public Radio reports. 

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., one of the co-sponsors of the bill, fought back tears as he announced passage of the legislation on the Senate floor.

"I am thankful that this resolution has passed at a time in which there are still survivors of the genocide [who] will be able to see that the Senate acknowledges what they went through," Menendez said.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement the Senate had tried for three consecutive weeks to pass the resolution and he was "grateful that today we have succeeded."

"Today, the Senate finally took a stand and spoke the truth — spoke the truth to darkness, spoke truth to evil, spoke truth to murder, spoke truth to genocide — and finally honored the 1.5 million innocent lives lost," Cruz said.

This resolution's passage comes a day after a Senate committee advanced a sanctions bill aimed at Turkey for its military offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria in October and its recent purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia.

Fahrettin Altun, Turkey's communications director, took to Twitter to condemn both Senate measures, accordimg to Reuters.

“In every previous attempt to politicize history by some members of the US Congress, we reiterated our position to form a group to study it,” Fahrettin Altun, Turkey’s communications director said on Twitter in response to the resolution.

“History will note these resolutions as irresponsible and irrational actions by some members of the US Congress against Turkey,” Altun said, adding that those members had acted to strain ties between the two countries.

Ibrahim Kalin, Turkish presidential spokesman said Turkey ‘strongly condemned and rejected’ the measure.