Obama avoids using ‘genocide,’ opting for ‘Meds Yeghern’ in April 24 commemoration

U.S. President Barack Obama has once again avoided using the word “genocide” in his remarks to commemorate the killings of Armenians in 1915, describing it as “Meds Yeghern,” an Armenian term meaning “great calamity.”

“Today we commemorate the Meds Yeghern and honor those who perished in one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century,” Obama said in a statement April 24.

Obama, who is currently on a trip to Japan, has chosen to opt for this wording in all his commemorative statements on April 24 since he came into office.