Democrat Ilhan Omar abstained on Tuesday from voting on a House resolution that officially recognizes Turkey's responsibility for the so-called Armenian genocide under the Ottoman Empire.
The resolution was voted in favor by 405 members and opposed by 11, while three, including Ilhan Omar, chose to abstain.
It is noteworthy that Ilhan is a young Muslim woman of Somali origin and enjoys great momentum in the political and media circles in the United States, and has already been attacked by US President Donald Trump.
She justified her abstention by saying that the atrocities committed by the United States against blacks in the slave-trade era should also be taken into account as well as the abuses suffered by indigenous peoples.
Shortly after the Armenian vote, the House of Representatives also overwhelmingly passed a resolution demanding that President Donald Trump impose sanctions and other restrictions on Turkey and Turkish officials over the Turkish military operation in northern Syria.
Turkey says many Armenians were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War I, but questions the figures and denies the killing is systematic or genocide.
Turkey was quick to condemn both resolutions, saying the genocide decision "lacks any historical or legal basis. As a meaningless political move, it is only directed at Armenian and anti-Turkish pressure groups."
Regarding the sanctions resolution, the State Department said punitive measures targeting senior Turkish officials and the Turkish armed forces “do not conform to the spirit of our NATO alliance” and are inconsistent with the Northern Syria Ceasefire Agreement reached with the Trump administration. October 17.
"We urge the US Congress not to exploit bilateral issues in domestic political consumption and to act in the spirit of our alliance and partnership," the department said in a statement, calling on the Trump administration to act so as not to further damage relations.