Greek Americans Call For Armenian Genocide Reparations

[Tongue]

GREEK AMERICANS CALL FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REPARATIONS

WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has expressed the appreciation of the Armenian American community to the American Hellenic Institute and the leading Greek American membership organizations for their principled stand in favor of Turkish compensation for the Armenian Genocide.

American Hellenic Institute president Gene Rossides, in a public statement issued today, called for Armenian Genocide reparations as part of a policy statement on "Compensation to Turkey’s Victims," prepared by the American Hellenic Institute. The policy statement has been endorsed by the major Greek American membership groups: the Order of AHEPA, Hellenic American National Council, Cyprus Federation of America, Panepirotic Federation of America, Pan-Macedonian Association of America, Evrytanian Association of America and American Hellenic Institute.

"We want to extend our appreciation to Eugene Rossides, the American Hellenic Institute, and all the leading Greek American groups for their clearly articulated and principled demand that Turkey compensate the Armenian nation for the Armenian Genocide," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We join with our Greek American friends in calling on our government to press Turkey to ensure a just resolution of this crime and an equitable settlement of all of Turkey's offenses against Greeks and Armenians."

In addition to seeking Turkish government compensation for the Armenian Genocide, the Greek American leadership calls for Turkish compensation to the 1) the victims of Turkey's illegal invasion of Cyprus of 1974; 2) the owners of property in Cyprus illegally taken, occupied and used by the Turkish authorities and individuals since 1974; 3) the victims of the September 1955 Turkish pogrom against its Greek citizens in Istanbul; 4) the victims of the Turkish genocide against the Pontian Greeks in the 1920's, and; 5) the victims of the Turkish massacre of the Greek and Armenian populations of Smyrna (now Izmir) in 1922 under Kemal Ataturk's orders.

In calling on "the U.S. government to press Turkey to pay compensation," the Greek American leadership cited "the compensation paid by the government of Germany to Holocaust victims and to the state of Israel and the government of Japan to the victims of its actions in Asia before and during World War II."

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Greek ministers push for recognition of Armenian genocide claims

The New Anatolian / Athens



Greek state ministers yesterday increased pressure on Turkey and on the international community to recognize Armenian genocide claims before next week's annual commemoration of the claims.

While Greek Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopulos expressed hope that the Armenians would soon receive the respect they "deserve" from the international community, Deputy Foreign Minister Teodoros Kasimis urged Ankara to recognize the genocide claims.

"The genocide conducted against the Armenian nation will never be erased from the minds of Greeks," said Minister Pavlopulos in his letter sent to the Armenian National Commission ahead of April 24, the date that Armenians commemorate genocide claims.

"Ninety-one years have passed since the genocide. The Greek Parliament's recognition of the commemoration day aims to honor and commemorate the innocent victims of the genocide. The decision also represents our responsibility in preventing the repetition of such events in the future," Pavlopulos said.

During his speech at a meeting organized by Armenians in Athens, Minister Kasimis expressed Greek support to the Armenian genocide claims, saying, "Turkey should accept its past mistakes to draw lessons from them in order to avoid any repetition of events."