WASHINGTON, DC – The controversy surrounded the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans continued to grow this week with a powerful statement by the Co-Chairman of the Armenian Caucus, calls for Congressional hearings, and a series of as yet unanswered inquiries from the national media during the State Department’s daily press briefing, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In a May 25th statement on the House floor, Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) forcefully condemned the Administration for forcing Amb. Evans to vacate his post for publicly affirming the Armenian Genocide. He voiced his “fear that the Government of Turkey may have played a role in this unfortunate event. I strongly believe they have expressed concern to the White House over Evans’ remarks last year. In fact, immediately following his remarks, Evan issued a “correction,” all too seemingly at the behest of the Administration. We must not allow a third party to interfere in U.S. diplomacy and refrain from declaring the truth in order to promote relations with Turkey.”

Congressman Pallone noted that he has yet to receive an explanation from the State Department, despite having written a letter to the Secretary more than two months ago requesting a thorough description of the reasons behind the Ambassador’s recall. Commenting on similar unanswered letters and questions posed during Congressional hearings regarding this controversy, he noted that, “now, the White House has made an ‘official’ announcement but still has not given an explanation.” He closed by expressing his “hope that the newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Hoagland, will not play the word games of the White House, and comply with Turkey’s campaign of genocidal denial.”

The White House made the recall of Amb. Evans official this week with the public announcement of his replacement, Richard Hoagland.

As he has repeated over the past several months, the State Department spokesperson, Sean McCormack, yesterday, again avoided answering a direct question about the reasons for Amb. Evans’ recall. In response to persistent questioning, he limited his remarks to generically praising Amb. Evans’ service, noting his replacement, and repeating the stock-phrase that he and other senior Administration officials “serve at the pleasure of the President.”

The ANCA has called for Congressional hearings to investigate the firing of Ambassador Evans. Using the ANCA website, activists can send their legislators a free ANCA WebFax asking them to call for hearings of both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House International Relations Committee. These letters call for a full hearing, featuring testimony from all the key figures involved in this situation, as well as a thorough examination of the role of the Turkish Government in exporting its suppression of speech to the United States.

The ANCA WebFaxes state, in part, that, “Amb. Evans is, in effect, being punished for honoring his President’s pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide – a promise that George W. Bush made on the campaign trail in February of 2000 but abandoned once in the White House. Amb. Evans should be praised, not dismissed, for rejecting “gag-rules” imposed by the Turkish Government on the discussion of the Armenian Genocide by America’s leaders at home and diplomats abroad.” The letters close by expressing outrage that the “Administration has lacked the courage to speak honestly – either to Congress or the American people – about its reasons for firing Ambassador Evans. Hopefully, these hearings will provide the transparency that we, as citizens, have the right to expect of our government.”

Earlier this week, sixty Members of Congress, led by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking for clarification of the reasons behind Amb. Evans’ recall. Prior to this letter, Rep. Pallone, Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) each independently called on the State Department to explain reports that Amb. Evans was being recalled because of his speech on the Armenian Genocide.They have yet to receive any response to their inquiries.

The Los Angeles Times, in a strongly worded March 22nd editorial, made direct reference to Amb. Evans’ impending dismissal, calling on the Turkish Government and U.S. State Department to end their policies of Armenian Genocide denial.

Following his statements last February, Amb. Evans was forced to issue a clarification that his references to the Armenian Genocide were his personal views and did not represent a change in US policy. He subsequently issued a correction to this statement, replacing a reference to the genocide with the word “tragedy.” The American Foreign Service Association, which had planned to honor Amb. Evans with the “Christian A. Herter Award,” recognizing creative thinking and intellectual courage within the Foreign Service, reportedly rescinded the award following pressure from the State Department a few days before Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington, DC to meet with President Bush.

The full text of Congressman Pallone’s remarks are provided below.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the White House has finally made an announcement of what many of us already knew: Ambassador John Evans is officially being replaced as United States Ambassador to Armenia.

Ambassador Evans has given exemplary service to his country and was a well-respected ambassador in a region of strategic importance to the United States. However, as it turns out, Evans was forced to vacate his post for publicly affirming the Armenian Genocide.

Reports highly suggest that because Evans declared that “the Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century” he is being unjustly penalized for speaking the truth. However, by employing the proper term last year, the Ambassador was only building on previous statements by our leaders in government, as well as the repeated declarations of numerous world-renowned scholars. Ambassador Evans did nothing more than succinctly repeat the conclusions enunciated by many before him.

Mr. Speaker, it is my fear that the Government of Turkey may have played a role in this unfortunate event. I strongly believe they have expressed concern to the White House over Evans’ remarks last year. In fact, immediately following his remarks, Evan issued a “correction,” all too seemingly at the behest of the Administration. We must not allow a third party to interfere in US diplomacy and refrain from declaring the truth in order to promote relations with Turkey.

To this day, the Republic of Turkey refuses to acknowledge the fact that this massive crime against humanity took place under its control, in the name of Turkish nationalism. Unfortunately, some 90 years later, the US State Department continues to support Turkey’s denials despite all evidence to the contrary.

It is unacceptable for this Administration to penalize Evans for his comments. What he did was courageous and should be viewed as such, not punished. Ambassador Evans simply articulated the same message as that of the Administration; however, the only difference was his assigning a word to define the actions taken against Armenians.

Ambassador Evans is in fact an expert on the subject. He has studied the history of Armenia, and based on his substantial studies, he was willing to go on the record and define the systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children as genocide.

Mr. Speaker, in early March, I wrote a letter to the State Department because I was outraged to see that Ambassador Evans was withdrawn from Armenia. Based on news reports, the State Department recalled the Ambassador as retaliation for his statements.

Over two months have passed since I expressed my disappointment and I have yet to receive a response from the State Department. I specifically asked Secretary Rice for an explanation as to why Ambassador Evans was removed from his post. Not only was my inquiry ignored, but other Members’ inquires have also gone un-answered. Now, the White House has made an “official” announcement but still has not given an explanation.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that the newly-appointed US Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Hoagland, will not play the word games of the White House, and comply with Turkey’s campaign of genocidal denial.

The New York Times editorial on May 16th this year detailed the dangers to Turkey, and to the world, of that country’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. I just want to read the last paragraph of that insightful editorial …”The preponderance of serious scholarship outside Turkey accepts that more than a million Armenians perished between 1914 and 1925 in a regime-sponsored campaign. Turkey’s continued refusal to countenance even a discussion of the issue stands as a major obstacle to restoring relations with neighboring Armenia and to claiming Turkey’s rightful place in Europe and the West. It is time for the Turks to realize that the greater danger to them is denying history.”

Thank you.