Ankara Warns European Parliament about Mentioning Armenian Genocide

June 1, 2015 By administrator

Turkey’s EU Minister Volkan Bozkir

ANKARA—Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkir, speaking to journalists after talks with the European Parliament’s (EP) Turkey Rapporteur Kati Piri, said that Ankara would declare the EP’s upcoming progress report for Turkey “null and void” if it mentions anything about the Armenian Genocide, the Daily Sabah reports.

Bozkir made the threats while referring to the European Parliament’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide in April this year. He also emphasized that this would be the first time that Turkey rejects a progress report by the EP.

The EP in April adopted a resolution that urges all EU member states and Turkey to recognize the 1915 massacre and exile of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. Turkey continues to deny the Armenian Genocide, defying the consensus of most Western historians.

Bozkir also added that the EP should avoid mentioning Turkey’s Kurdish nationalist PKK party, who have advocated for greater rights and independence for Turkey’s Kurds. Bozkir revealed that his main concern was the EP’s planned declassification of the PKK as a terrorist organization. He warned: “If there is any reference to the removal of the PKK from the black list in the EU, it is impossible for us to accept the report.”

He further added that Turkey will not accept the report if it hinders continuation of the negotiation process and implied an end to the EU’s economic contributions to Turkey.

He said that this year’s progress report is yet to be announced even though it should have been published two months ago and added: “The report is getting more complicated with changing proposals as 420 proposals have been requested.”

Turkey has been a candidate country to join the EU since 1999. Negotiations for the accession to the EU began in 2005. Turkey must comply with 35 policy areas, or chapters, setting out reforms needed to become a member.

(updated) German parliament overwhelmingly approve a resolution branding the mass killings of Armenian Genocide

April 24, 2015 By administrator

The German parliament overwhelmingly approved on Friday, April 24, a resolution branding the mass killings of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces a century ago as Genocide, Reuters reports.

The vote marks a significant change of stance for Germany, Turkey’s biggest trade partner in the European Union and home to a large ethnic Turkish diaspora. Unlike France and some two dozen other countries, Berlin has long resisted using the word.

The term ‘Genocide’ also has special resonance in Germany, which has worked hard to come to terms with its responsibility for the murder of six million Jews in the Holocaust.

In a parliamentary session to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the killings, all parliamentary groups in the Bundestag lower house backed the resolution in a vote likely to infuriate Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

“What happened in the middle of the First World War in the Ottoman Empire under the eyes of the world was a genocide,” Bundestag president Norbert Lammert said at the start of German lawmakers’ debate on the resolution.

It was earlier reported that the discussion was delayed till April 30.

Speaking at a church service in Berlin, President Gauck said: “The fate of the Armenians stands as exemplary in the history of mass exterminations, ethnic cleansing, deportations and yes, genocide, which marked the 20th century in such a terrible way.”

Gauck, added that Germans also bore some responsibility “and in some cases complicity” concerning the “genocide of the Armenians”. Germany was an ally of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Reuters: German lawmakers call massacre of Armenians ‘genocide’, defying Turkey

Syrian Parliament Speaker Calls for Genocide Recognition

April 22, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN—On the sidelines of a global forum on crimes against humanity and genocide being held in Yerevan, Armenia’s President Serzh Sarkisian met with Syria’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Jihad al-Laham, who called for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Sarkisian welcomed the dignitary to his country and thanked him for his participation in the forum, which, according to Sarkisian, once again speaks to the “sincere respect of the friendly Syrian people toward the Armenian people.” The President expressed his gratitude to the People’s Council of Syria, as the Syrian parliament is called, for its steps aimed at the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The President praised the special session of the People’s Council of Syria held in March in connection with the Armenian Genocide and the influential speech delivered by Speaker al-Laham.

Al-Laham conveyed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s warm regards and best wishes to President Sarkisian and stressed that Syrians have a special attitude towards Armenia and the Armenian people. He noted that the participation of his delegation in the Yerevan forum bears witness to the fact that Syria recognizes the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire. Speaker al-Laham said that the global forum, titled “Against the Crime of Genocide,” is a good opportunity to mobilize the efforts of the international community and prevent the repetition of such crimes in the future.

President Sarkisian lamented the internal political situation prevailing in Syria for more than four years now and expressed the hope that the friendly country of Syria will grow stronger as a result of this hardship and will manage to ensure domestic peace and stability.

At the meeting, the parties also attached value to the strengthening of inter-parliamentary ties which lie at the core of relations between Armenia and Syria.

Basque Country parliament condemns Genocide, urges Turkey for recognition

April 17, 2015 By administrator

The Parliament of the Basque Country condemned the Armenian Genocide and urged Turkey for recognition. It also called for peace between Armenia and Turkey, stressing the need for the latter to face its own history.

The parliament-adopted statement expressed solidarity and respect for the families of the Genocide victims who to this day suffer repercussions of the tragedy, Abc.es reports.

The parliament called for a transparent dialogue between Armenia and Turkey for a better future which can become a possibility through justice, understanding and recognition.

BREAKING NEWS: European Parliament Adopts Bill Urging Turkey to #RecognizeGenocide

April 15, 2015 By administrator

European Parliament building in Brussels

BRUSSELS—The European Parliament on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide by “coming to terms with its past.

The joint text – agreed by parliament groups on Tuesday– also calls on “those EU member states that have not yet done so and EU institutions to recognize it”.

The resolution states that Turkey should “start a genuinely transparent public debate with a view to recognizing the genocide.”

The resolution also urges Turkey to “normalize relations … with Armenia.”

Turkey’s Permanent Delegation to the EU immediately responded by tweeting: “In its latest resolution the EP has once again been successful in alienating Turkey and the Turkish people. It acted as prosecutor, judge & jury.”

Cypriot parliament criminalizes Armenian Genocide denial

March 31, 2015 By administrator

Cypriot lawmakers on Monday, March 30, agreed to amend current legislation, criminalizing the denial of a genocide if the given crime against humanity has been recognized by the House, Cyprus Mail reports.

The matter is fundamentally about the Armenian Genocide, and resurfaced last week due to the upcoming visit of Armenian National Assembly speaker Galust Sahakyan to Cyprus to mark the 100th anniversary of the first genocide of the 20th century.

As it stands, the law states that denial of crimes against humanity and genocide is a criminal offence only where the crime in question has been recognized by irrevocable decision of an international court. Cyprus is among 22 countries that have recognized the Armenian Genocide. However, because the International Criminal Court has not recognized it, thus far denial of the genocide was not a criminal offence here.

House Speaker Yiannakis Omirou was keen to add a clause to the legislation, making genocide denial a criminal offence whether it has been recognized by an international court or by a resolution of the Cyprus parliament, the report says.

Following debate at the House legal affairs committee on Monday, the parties took on board Omirou’s legislative proposal, but with a modification – denial of genocide will constitute a criminal offence only where the House resolution recognizing that genocide was unanimous.

Sources from the ruling DISY party told the Mail that the House may hold an extraordinary session of the plenum on Thursday morning, before the scheduled plenary, to pass the legal amendment.

Sahakyan, due on the island on Wednesday, is on Thursday afternoon scheduled to address the House of Representatives.

While on an official trip to Armenia last November, Omirou appears to have promised his Armenian counterpart that Cyprus would criminalize the denial of the Armenian Genocide, as other countries – Switzerland, Slovakia, Greece – have done.

The same DISY sources, according to Cyprus Mail, dismissed the notion, as reported by daily Simerini, that Omirou and the presidency were at odds over amending the law.

The only reservations the president had was that the government was not consulted on the matter, which pertains to foreign policy.

The sources also refuted media reports that DISY MPs had argued in committee against criminalizing denial because it might anger the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey, particularly at this juncture when peace talks may resume.

Cyprus was the first European country (and the second worldwide, after Uruguay) to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. On April 24, 1975, Resolution 36 was voted unanimously by the House of Representatives.

Given that decision was unanimous, the criminalization amendment now being proposed should automatically apply to the Armenian Genocide.

Under the law, the denial or “flagrant downgrading” of recognized war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, provided the crime has been recognized by an international court, is punishable by up to five years imprisonment and/or a fine of €10,000.

Turkey: A member asked before the Turkish Parliament to address the Armenian Genocide

March 21, 2015 By administrator

On March 18, the president of the Turkish Parliament Cemil Cicek delivered a speech at the special session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly commemorating the centenary of the Battle of Canakkale, followed by speeches by other parliamentarians.

The deputy of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party Abdullah Levent Tüzel made a statement about Armenians who scandalized his colleagues MPs.

“Our fellow Armenians from Anatolia bravely fought in Canakkale, however, the Armenian intellectuals were exiled to Istanbul the same year. If we recognize our heritage of the Battle of Canakkale, then we should definitely recognize that the Armenians were exiled or killed during the genocide. We should thoroughly analyze the policy that ultimately led to the murder of Hrant Dink, “said Tuzler.

Saturday, March 21, 2015,
Stéphane © armenews.com

The European Parliament urges EU Member States to recognize the Armenian Genocide

March 13, 2015 By administrator

The European Parliament (EP) called on Thursday, March 12 member states of the European Union (EU) to recognize the Armenian genocide as we approach the 100th anniversary of the crime.

The European Parliament adopted the 2013 annual report on human rights and democracy in the world and the EU policy in this area. Article 77 of the adopted report says “the approach of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, invites all Member States of the Union to recognize the legal terms and encourages them and the European institutions, to continue to promote recognition; “

Section 129 of the report also mentions the fate of the Apostolic Armenians and other Christian minorities in the Middle East. The article “calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure that religious minorities are respected in the world and especially in the Middle East where Christians, such as Catholics, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic and Yezidis and Muslim minorities are persecuted by EIIL and other terrorist groups; “

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) welcomed the report. “We expected this report for some years now, when the Special Representative of the European Union for Human Rights was established to promote the values of the European Union in the negotiations, Whether on foreign policy, trade, energy or other cooperation with third countries, “said the EAFJD in a statement.

“We welcome and support this resolution unequivocally, particularly in this centenary year of the Armenian Genocide, in particular paragraph 77 … We expect the EU to put pressure on Turkey to recognize that thus it officially the Armenian genocide it committed, “adds EAFJD.

The EAFJD also stressed the importance of the resolution, which protects all vulnerable groups, minorities and people “in these times of racism, xenophobia, and crisis in the Middle East, in the European neighborhood and the world whole. “

The adoption of the report was also welcomed by European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA). In a statement issued immediately after the adoption, the Director EuFoA Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa, said: “After a long pause, the European Parliament reaffirmed its position on the Armenian genocide, and again reiterates that genocide and their negations are a human rights issue. During this special year, we are grateful for this strong signal of European solidarity with the Armenian people. “

Turkey: With gavel and fists, brawl in Turkish Parliament leaves five lawmakers wounded

February 17, 2015 By administrator

CHP deputy Musa Çam fainted during the brawl.

At least five lawmakers have been wounded in a brawl between Turkey’s opposing political parties in the Parliament before the assembly moved to discuss controversial security bill.

Hours before the midnight, Turkish opposition parties proposed various motions to filibuster the assembly and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) failed to bring up the controversial security bill that would largely restrict right to protest and assembly. The hours before the brawl, the tensions in the assembly were running high, with war of words over petty things such as the time of dinner. Parliament’s acting speaker Ayşe Bahçekapılı admitted that she was only joking about canceling the dinner timeout. reported by Zaman

As the Parliament shut it doors to press and removed audio and visual recorders from the general assembly, the tension sharply escalated.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Mahmut Tanal told STV channel early on Wednesday that the brawl was kicked off after AK Party deputies walked toward a female deputy from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). He added that the scenes of fist-fighting in the Parliament was unprecedented. Tanal was among the deputies hit during the brawl. Another CHP deputy Aykut Erdoğdu was hit in the chest with the speaker’s gavel while CHP’s Musa Çam was hospitalized as he fainted. Another CHP deputy Refik Eryılmaz was treated in the ambulance. Photos of pro-Kurdish lawmaker Ertuğrul Kürkçü with a white bondage on his head surfaced on the social media.

Despite the brawl that left at least five lawmakers wounded, the Parliament continued its session behind closed doors.

EU: Motion on #Armeniangenocide submitted to European Parliament

February 9, 2015 By administrator

Belgian MEP Gerolf Annemans, chairman of Vlaams Belang party, submitted to European Parliament a motion calling on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The document says:

– having regard to Rule 133 of its Rules of Procedure;

– having regard to the many studies and historical data on the situation of the Armenian population in Turkey at the beginning of the twentieth century,

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide which defines genocide,

– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 18 June 1987 on a political solution to the Armenian question,

– having regard to subsequent Parliament resolutions in which it has argued to a greater or lesser extent in favor of recognizing the Armenian genocide of 1915,

A. whereas these resolutions have not yet induced the Turkish government to recognize the genocide;

B. whereas a century after the events, the time has come to initiate reconciliation;

1. Calls on the Turkish government officially to recognize the 1915 genocide of the Armenians living in Turkey perpetrated by the last government of the Ottoman Empire;

2. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Turkish government, the Armenian government, the Commission, the Council and the Presidents of the Parliament of the Republic of Turkey and the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia.

The motion was signed by Marine Le Pen, Louis Aliot, Marie-Christine Arnautu, Nicolas Bay, Dominique Bilde, Marie-Christine Boutonnet, Steeve Briois, Mireille D’Ornano, Edouard Ferrand, Sylvie Goddyn, Jean-François Jalkh, Gilles Lebreton, Philippe Loiseau, Dominique Martin, Joëlle Mélin, Bernard Monot, Sophie Montel, Florian Philippot, Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, Mylène Troszczynski, Matteo Salvini, Mara Bizzotto, Mario Borghezio, Gianluca Buonanno, Lorenzo Fontana, Marcel de Graaff, Hans Jansen, Olaf Stuger, Harald Vilimsky, Barbara Kappel.