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European Parliament committee’s new report strongly criticizes Erdogan’s policy, touches upon Armenia and Genocide recognition

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The annual report of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Turkey condemns the multiple human rights violations and restriction of freedom of speech which have taken place under Erdogan’s leadership.  

Harut Shirinyan – Public Relations and Communications Officer at the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD), told ARMENPRESS that this report can inevitably raise the level of political tension between the EP and Turkey.

-Mr. Shirinyan, on February 20 the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee adopted its annual report on Turkey. What points will you outline from the report?

-Overall, the report strongly criticizes and condemns the numerous human rights violations, restriction of freedom of speech, political persecutions and arrests, as well as the pressures on ethnic, religious and sexual minorities which have taken place under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership. The report, in particular, condemns the persecutions against opposition figures, human rights advocates and journalists outside Turkey. In addition, the European Parliament doesn’t see any well-grounded reason for constantly extending the state of emergency in Turkey after the 2016 failed military coup attempt.

-Taking into considering these developments, the European Parliament decided to reaffirm its decision of the last year, in order words to urge the European Commission to stop Turkey’s accession talks to the EU. What developments can this lead to?

-This decision will inevitably raise the level of political tension between the two sides. The solution is possible only when the Turkish government makes real reforms in the aforementioned fields.

I would like to state that this report on Turkey, as well as all those reports staring from 2015, directly refer to the resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the European Parliament in April, 2015. This report is very vital for the EAFJD because by this the EP with its report on Turkey every year reaffirms the recognition of the Genocide in reality and again, indirectly sends a signal to Turkey, as well as all EU member states to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

-It seems the report also touches upon the issue of the preservation of cultural heritage of national minorities in Turkey. What message does it contain?

-It’s worth stating that by this report the European Parliament calls on Turkey to respect its legal agreements by preserving the cultural heritage of the national minorities. The talk is about the preservation of historical structures and property of Greeks, Assyrians and Armenians. The report also says that Turkey must prepare the concrete list of all damaged and destroyed properties that belong to these communities.

-There is also a reference to the Armenia-Turkey relations in the report, and it seems, an equality sign is again put here. What would you say about this?

-Regarding the Armenia-Turkey relations, the report points the two states, which cannot be understood, and encourages to be consistent in the normalization process of the bilateral relations. And it also mentions the future economic benefits for the two countries in case of opening the borders.

But here I want to note that it would be more logical and right if this section of the EP report was addressed only to Turkey, by outlining the latter’s responsibility for today’s situation and urging it to adopt more serious attitude, express readiness to start talks in the relations with Armenia over an agreement without any precondition, and in particular, to refuse from presenting any precondition on the Karabakh conflict.

In any case Turkey is aware that joining the EU is unrealistic and impossible if it has not normalized the relations with all states of the region, especially when some of the EU territories are still under Turkish rule unfortunately.

Interview by Anna Gziryan

Report: Egyptian President cites #ArmenianGenocide in Munich speech

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Egyptian President Abdel Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has cited the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire when speaking about terrorism and security issues at the Munich Security Conference.

Expert of Arab studies Araks Pashayan has written in a Facebook post that al-Sisi is the first Arab leader to ever speak about the Armenian Genocide from an international platform.

The President has also reminded the story of how Armenians settled in Egypt, where they have been living for decades.

According to Pashayan, the statement has been actively discussed in Turkish media.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan are attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Top Swiss Federal Court rejects opposition to Armenia genocide memorial

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Switzerland’s highest court has rejected the opposition raised by several Genevans to a recently-unveiled monument commemorating the Armenian Genocide in the city, Swissinfo reports.

Switzerland’s highest court has rejected the opposition raised by several Genevans to a recently-unveiled monument commemorating the Armenian genocide in the city.

The decision published by the Federal Court on Monday rejected claims by residents that the monument would lead to the area becoming a site of demonstrations, or even conflict between members of the Armenian and Turkish communities.

“Residents can appeal when they are definitely, or at least with sufficient probability, affected by the repercussions of such a decision,” the court wrote. This was not the case for the monument in Parc Tremblay, Geneva.

The decision should bring to an end the long saga of the monument, which was unveiled in April 2018 after a decade of debates and delay.

Not only was it tricky to find an appropriate location for the genocide memorial – initially approved in 2008 – but opposition from Turkey also made the monument a diplomatic headache into which the federal government was forced to wade.

“Les Réverbères de la Mémoire” [Streetlights of memory],external link designed by French artist Melik Ohanianexternal link, is a collection of nine street lamps, each ten metres tall and featuring lamps in the form of teardrops, commemorating the 1915-1917 Armenian genocide, which is still disputed by Turkey.

The genocide was recognized by the parliament of Geneva in 2001 and by the Swiss federal parliament in 2003.

The decision published by the Federal Court on Monday, February 18 rejected claims by residents that the monument would lead to the area becoming a site of demonstrations, or even conflict between members of the Armenian and Turkish communities.

“Residents can appeal when they are definitely, or at least with sufficient probability, affected by the repercussions of such a decision,” the court wrote. This was not the case for the monument in Parc Tremblay, Geneva.

The decision should bring to an end the long saga of the monument, which was unveiled in April 2018 after a decade of debates and delay.

Not only was it tricky to find an appropriate location for the genocide memorial – initially approved in 2008 – but opposition from Turkey also made the monument a diplomatic headache into which the federal government was forced to wade.

“Les Réverbères de la Mémoire” (Streetlights of memory), designed by French artist Melik Ohanian, is a collection of nine street lamps, each ten metres tall and featuring lamps in the form of teardrops, commemorating the 1915-1917 Armenian genocide, which is still disputed by Turkey.

The Genocide was recognized by the parliament of Geneva in 2001 and by the Swiss federal parliament in 2003.

Source: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/-streetlights-of-memory-_federal-court-rejects-opposition-to-armenia-genocide-memorial/44765738

U.S. Congress passes spending bill that includes ANCA backed provisions on Turkey

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WASHINGTON, DC –Congress passed a far-ranging spending bill today that includes two provisions regarding Turkey that are backed by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), ANCA reported.

The first provision blocks the sale of weapons to Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s security detail unless Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reports to Congress that members of that detail, charged with beating U.S. protesters in May of 2017 in Washington, DC, are brought to justice.

The second prohibits the delivery of U.S. F-35s to Turkey until the Defense Department submits a report to Congress regarding the national security consequences of Ankara acquiring Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missiles.

“We welcome the Congress’ continuing vigilance with regards to the regional implications of arms sales to Turkey,” said Hellenic American Leadership Council Executive Director Endy Zemenides and ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “The reporting requirements in this legislation represent meaningful progress in holding Turkey accountable for its increasingly reckless conduct in the region and brazenly violent actions here on our own shores.”

Hamparian and Zemenides continued, “Unfortunately, even the reasonable and relatively mild restriction on F-35 sales – premised on giving Turkey a chance to improve its behavior as an ally – is already proving to be too optimistic, as Turkey – as recently as today – reaffirmed its intention to take delivery of the Russian S-400 missile system over strong American objections.”

The bill, which passed both the Senate and House overwhelmingly, is headed to the White House for signature.  President Trump is set to sign the measure.

Turkish scholar Akçam to Speak on Talat Pasha’s Killing Orders and Denial of the Armenian Genocide at USC

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LOS ANGELES — On Friday, March 22, Professor Taner Akçam (Clark University), will deliver a public lecture at noon at the University of Southern California (USC) Shoah Foundation Center for Advanced Genocide Research, co-sponsored by the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies. The lecture is co-sponsored by the two organizations.

A unique feature of the Armenian Genocide has been the long-standing efforts of successive Turkish governments to deny its historicity and to hide the documentary evidence surrounding it. Denialists have claimed that there was no central decision taken by Ottoman authorities to exterminate the Armenians and that all available documents that indicate otherwise are either fake or were doctored by Armenians. In this lecture, Professor Taner Akçam (Clark University) will explore how his latest research provides a major clarification of the often-blurred lines between facts and truth with regard to these events. Akçam both brings to light documents either hidden or destroyed by the Turkish government that contain the killing orders, and demonstrates the authenticity of these orders, which had been signed by Ottoman Interior Minister Talat Pasha. He will introduce this new evidence and the online archive he has developed to provide the public access to these documents.

Chair of Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University, Akçam is widely recognized as one of the first Turkish scholars to write extensively on the Ottoman-Turkish Genocide of the Armenians in the early 20th century. He is the author of more than ten scholarly works as well as numerous articles in Turkish, German, and English on the Armenian Genocide and Turkish nationalism. His most known books, A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility (Metropolitan Books, 2006) and Young Turks’ Crime Against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire (Princeton University Press, 2012) have received several awards.

Akçam’s latest book is Killing Orders: Talat Pasha’s Telegrams and the Armenian Genocide (Palgrave 2018).

Lunch will be served.

US lawmaker urges Trump Administration to stop blocking #ArmenianGenocide legislation Video

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Congressman Brad Sherman urged Trump’s administration to stop blocking Congressional legislation on the Armenian Genocide.

He said the Administration has to stop covering for Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Armenian Genocide, freeing legislators to vote their conscience on U.S. remembrance of Turkey’s crime against Christian nations.

“If you just go neutral on this, Congress will be the conscience of this country,” he said.

Cypriot defense minister honors Armenian Genocide victims at Yerevan memorial

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Minister of Defense of Cyprus Savvas Angelides and his delegation visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum early morning February 13.

Angelides is in Armenia on an official visit.

The Cypriot defense minister paid tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide, toured the museum and signed the honorary guest book, the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute said.

Turkish-Armenian lawmaker responds to Ankara’s reaction to Macron

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Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) recently responded to the Turkish presidential spokesperson’s reaction to last week’s announcement by France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, who declared April 24 a national day of commemoration for the Armenian Genocide, Asbarez reports.

Paylan specifically addressed the presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin who after condemning Macron’s decision called the Armenian Genocide “a lite and political deception.”

“If the Armenian Genocide is a political deception, why does Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan send a condolence letter to the Armenian people for five years in a row?” asked Paylan in a Facebook post.

In a second post Paylan said that 104 years have passed since the Genocide and the Armenian people are waiting for justice.

“Turkey has not faced and named the tragedy that the Armenian people were deported and massacred by the state decision,” Paylan wrote, emphasizing that the Turkish president and the parliament must face the facts and call the events of 1915 by its real name—genocide.

Turkish official ‘threatens’ Macron over April 24 remark

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A spokesperson for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development party has issued threats to French President Emmanuel Macron over statement to declare April 24 as an day of Armenian Genocide commemoration in France.

Commenting on the French leader’s remark, voiced at a dinner event with members of the French-Armenian Coordinating Council, Omar Celik vowed a ”strong impact” on the Turkey-France relations.

”We will not be satisfied with denouncing the decision. It will have clear consequences,” Gazeteduvar.com.tr quotes him as saying.

Celik said that France ”doesn’t have the right to teach Turkey lessons of confronting its history”.

Macron first announced his intention to declare April 24 as a Genocide remembrance day when he was visited Armenia back in October to attend the 17th Francophonie Summit.