The rapid deletion of a social media post referring to the Armenian genocide from Vice President JD Vance’s account on Tuesday serves as a stark reminder of the U.S. policy toward Turkey.
During a historic first-ever visit by a sitting U.S. Vice President to Armenia, Vance’s official X account briefly commemorated the 1915 massacres as a “genocide.”
Within hours, the post vanished, replaced by a sanitized version that omitted the term entirely. While the administration chalked the incident up to a “clerical error” by remote staff, the swift correction underscores a core tenet of current U.S. foreign policy: historical truth must not jeopardize the alliance with Ankara.
Turkey objects to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
Turkey, a pivotal NATO ally, remains a primary obstacle to the universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
While historians estimate that 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by the Ottoman Empire, the modern Turkish state fiercely disputes the term “genocide,” viewing it as a direct assault on its national identity.
For decades, American presidents—with the notable exception of Joe Biden—have utilized linguistic gymnastics to avoid the word, opting instead for the Armenian phrase Meds Yeghern (“Great Crime”) to satisfy domestic advocates without triggering a diplomatic crisis with Turkey.
Maintaining Turkey’s goodwill is a non-negotiable priority
The Trump administration has doubled down on this pragmatic avoidance. Turkey currently serves as a vital mediator in high-stakes regional negotiations, particularly regarding Iran and the ongoing security architecture in the Middle East.
Furthermore, Vance’s visit to Yerevan was not merely symbolic; it was designed to promote the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), a trade corridor linking Azerbaijan to Turkey through Armenian territory. Success for this project relies entirely on the cooperation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
By deleting the post, the White House signaled that maintaining Turkey’s goodwill is a non-negotiable priority, even if it requires walking back a statement of historical fact.
On the tarmac in Yerevan, Vance carefully echoed this stance, calling the massacres a “terrible thing” while pointedly avoiding the word that had briefly appeared on his feed.
Related: Armenia’s Contribution to Hellenism and Orthodoxy
