In 1915 , 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks in what historians have described as the first genocide of the 20th century . Obama refused to call the mass killings a 'genocide ' in official statement despite promising as a presidential candidate that he would . Turkish officials furiously deny there was a genocide , and Obama has shied away from offending the close U.S. ally . Kim Kardashian - who is Armenian on her father 's side - and the Pope have both called the killings a genocide . Kasdashian last week traveled to the country for the first time with her husband Khole , sister Kanye West and cousins Kara and Kourtni . The White House will be sending Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to Armenia this week to mark the 100th anniversary of the killings .
In 1915 , 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks in what historians have described as the first genocide of the 20th century . Obama refused to call the mass killings a 'genocide ' in official statement despite promising as a presidential candidate that he would . Turkish officials furiously deny there was a genocide , and Obama has shied away from offending the close U.S. ally . Kim Kardashian - who is Armenian on her father 's side - and the Pope have both called the killings a genocide . Kasdashian last week traveled to the country for the first time with her husband Kanye West , sister Khole and cousins Kara and Kourtni . The White House will be sending Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to Armenia this week to mark the 100th anniversary of the killings .