German Parliament Deals Fatal Blow To Turkish Denial Of Genocide

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TURKISH OFFICIAL: EU NEGOTIATIONS "MAY BE TOUGHER" AFTER MERKEL TAKES POWER

By Louis Meixler

The Associated Press
10/10/05 10:51 EDT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A top Turkish legislator said that EU
negotiations "may be tougher" after Germany's Angela Merkel takes
power, but cautioned that she will rule in a coalition government
which should reduce her ability to take any strong action to limit
Turkey's EU aspirations.

Merkel has repeatedly spoken out against Turkey's ambitions to enter
the European Union, saying the country should be offered a partnership
and not full membership.

Turkey started accession talks with the EU earlier this month, but
faces strong opposition in several countries.

"The fact that they have to share ... will lead to the possibility that
she will balance what she says," Mehmet Dulger, head of parliament's
foreign affairs committee, told The Associated Press.

Turkey's aspirations for EU membership were a key issue in German
elections with incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder backing
membership and challenger Merkel favoring a partnership without
full membership.

Merkel said Monday that she had reached a deal that will make her
Germany's first female chancellor in a power-sharing agreement with
Schroeder's Social Democrats, which will retain control of several
ministries, including the foreign ministry.

"I think that the level of the pressure that Germany will try to
exert on Turkey will not be as high as if Madame Merkel has a strong
majority. That would have been very serious. But the existence of
the Social Democrats in parliament will give some balance," he added.

Turkish accession talks are expected to last for some 10 to 15 years
and membership is not guaranteed at the end of those talks. Many
European countries have serious reservations toward accepting the poor,
overwhelmingly Muslim country.

"Negotiations may be tougher" with Merkel in power, he said, adding
that even if Merkel were not in office "the negotiations will be tough,
everybody is aware of that."

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International Community Must Prevent Recurrence Of Genocides:yuri Baluyevsky

YURI BALUYEVSKY

ARKA News Agency
Oct 20 2005

YEREVAN, October 20. /ARKA/. The international community must do all
in its power to prevent the recurrence of events like the Armenian
Genocide of 1915, Chief of the General Headquarters, RF Armed Forces,
RF First Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Baluyevsky stated during
his visit to the Memorial to the Genocide Victims in Tsitsernakaberd.

"Culprit are difficult to find among the contemporary Turkish people,
but the crime must be denounced," he said. "The Armenia people,
who experienced horrible events of the Genocide, lost a third of its
population, deserves respect on the part of us all," Baluyevky said.

During his visit to Armenia, Yuri Baluyevky is to visit the Institute
of Ancient Manuscripts "Matenadaran."

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Sao Paulo Parliament Adopts Resolution On Armenian Genocide

YEREVAN, October 21. /ARKA/. The Parliament of Sao Paulo, Brazil, has adopted a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The draft was submitted to the city Parliament by Zhuselino Gadelay, on April 14.
Considering the fact that the Armenian Genocide was recorded and recognized by a number of political and public figures and that such crimes are committed against the international community and are blameworthy, the Sao Paulo Parliament expressed its solidarity with the Armenia people. It applied to the Brazilian President for making necessary steps jointly with the National Congress to recognize the Armenian Genocide at the federal level.
The resolution was adopted unanimously. Moreover, 43 of 51 parliamentarians put their signatures to the document as co-authors. On October 20, 2005, Roberto Tripoly presented the document to the RA Consul General to Sao Paulo Ashot Yeghiazaryan. P.T. -0--

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Iranian president reiterates his position to condemn Armenian genocide

31.10.2005 17:31

YEREVAN (YERKIR) - Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad on Sunday received 5 Parliament Members representing religious minorities to discuss issues of interest, Noyan Tapan reported, citing Alik Daily, an Armenian-language newspaper published in Tehran.

Ethnic Armenian MP’s representing the Armenian communities of northern and southern Iran, expressed their gratitude for the statement Ahmadinejad had made during his election campaign that he would recognize and condemn the Armenian genocide of 1915.
The Iranian president, in turn, noted that any such act against any nation should be condemned.

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Edinburgh Council Pass Motion On Armenian Genocide

Armenian News Network / Groong
November 17, 2005

By Armenag Topalian

LONDON, UK


Today Edinburgh Council passed a motion recognising the Armenian
Motion after Dr Donald Bloxham (Edinburgh University), Dr Hagop Bessos
(Scottish CRAG) and Harry Hagopian (UK CRAG) addressed the council and
a lively debate.

The council were not impressed by the anti-Islam arguments from the
Turkish side or their version of history. In particular the
councillors wanted to send a powerful message on freedom of expression
as practised in Europe to the Turkish authorities.

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Official Recognition Of The Armenian Genocide

OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By
City Of Edinburgh Council
17 November 2005
PRESS RELEASE

CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL, LABOUR GROUP MOTION,
at Full Council Meeting of 17th November 2005

"This Council notes that a number of Parliaments around the world have
recognised, as genocide, events that began in Anatolia in 1915,
including,most recently, an 82% vote in favour of recognition in the
European Parliament on 28th September 2005. Council also notes that
recognition was acknowledgedwhen Edinburgh hosted the UK's Annual
Holocaust Memorial Day in 2003.

Council recognises that atrocities and tragedies occurred on all sides
in the conflicts which began in 1915, but supports the view that the
Ottoman actions against the Armenian community did constitute
genocide.

Council welcomes Turkey's application for membership of the European
Union and supports dialogue and reconciliation between the Turkish and
Armenian peoples. Council does not support the view that genocide
recognition should be made a condition for membership of the European
Union'.

At the Full Council Meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council on
Thursday, 17th of November 2005, the Council carried a Labour Group
Motion proposed by the Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Donald
Anderson, and seconded by Councillor Chris Wigglesworth, supporting
the view that the Ottoman actions against Armenians during the period
1915 onward did constitute genocide.

At the said meeting of the Council, held at City Chambers, deputations
from both the Turkish and Armenians sides were invited to attend the
Council meeting and present arguments for and against adoption of the
Motion.


Three deputations from three Turkish organisations presented arguments
against the motion through their respective three speakers. The two
Armenian deputations that followed the Turkish presentations were from
the Campaignfor Recognition of the Armenian Genocide (CRAG) and from
the Armenian Community & Church Council of Great Britain (ACCC). The
speakers from the Armenian deputations were Dr Hagop Bessos, Chair of
the Scottish Committee of CRAG,who presented a personal family
testimony of the genocide, Dr Donald Bloxham, lecturer of History at
the University of Edinburgh and author of a recent book on Ottoman
Armenians and the Genocide, who presented the historical argumentsin
favour of passing the Motion, and Dr Harry Hagopian who concluded with
both the legal and political arguments in favour of the Motion and
against any allegations at denial.

Despite en-bloc opposition to the Motion by the Conservative Group in
the Council, the Motion was carried with 29 votes in favour against 16
- a majority of 13 in favour of the Motion. The votes supporting the
Motion were from the Labour and Liberal Democrat Groups.

CRAG, the Campaign for Recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and its
Scottish chapter headed by Dr Hagop Bessos, have been painstakingly
working on this Motion for the past year. During 2005, and despite
considerable political difficulties, CRAG has also been busy with a
set of commemorative activities across the UK marking the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

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Chief Rabbi Of Israel Acknowledges Armenian Genocide

Yerevan, November 22, Armenpress: Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of Israel and members of a delegation who are in Armenia upon the invitation of His Holiness, Armenian Catholicos Karekin II, laid a wreath today to the Genocide Victims Memorial in Yerevan in commemoration of the first genocide of the last century.

"One cannot remember what happened to Armenians without tears,' he said to reporters. When asked why Israel refused to officially acknowledge the Armenian genocide, the Rabbi said, " As the representative of the Jewish clergy I recognize this genocide, the rest depends on political and international relations."


In a nearby Genocide Museum the Jewish clergy light a candle and the Chief Rabbi served a prayer service. He said a similar prayer service is served to commemorate the Holocaust victims. Yury Stern, a Knesset delegate, who is in Armenia together with the Rabbi said Turkey must put up with its history and acknowledge the genocide. "A nation cannot throw away its history,' he said.


Later in the day the Israeli delegation was received by prime minister Andranik Margarian.