International Genocide Recognition

[Gavur]

Another European country is expected to recognize Armenian Genocide soon


In the near future, another European country is expected to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Head of the Hay Dat European Office, Member of Hay Dat (The Armenian Cause) commission in Greece Gaspar Karapetyan told reporters, a REGNUM correspondent reports. Karapetyan is participating in an Hay Dat conference in Yerevan on March 12. He refused to say which country intends to recognize the genocide, saying that from the point of view of its territory the country is not that large, however, it takes a special position in Europe and plays substantial role in European processes.

Commenting on the verdict imposed by Swiss court to leader of the Turkish Labor Party Dogu Perincek for denial of the Armenian Genocide, he noted that it once again confirmed impossibility of unpunished denial of a historical fact.

Speaking on Hay Dat’s achievements in Europe, Karapetyan cited recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Greece, where on April 24, according to him, for several years running people have been revering memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

http://www.regnum.ru/english/794718.html

[Joseph]

TURKEY, AND THE U.S., MUST CONFRONT GENOCIDE'S REALITY

Wall Street Journal
March 12, 2007

In his March 3 editorial-page commentary "Don't Go Cold on Turkey1,"
former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Mark Parris opposes U.S. recognition
of the Armenian Genocide Resolution. His main contention is that
this will result in a "train wreck" with an important, long-standing
American ally.

Amb. Parris and the other opponents of honestly recognizing this crime
are once again crying wolf. "Train wrecks" were loudly but falsely
predicted before President Reagan's 1981 public affirmation of the
Armenian genocide, the 1984 designation by the House of April 24 as
a day for its remembrance, as well as before the amendments passed
by the House in 1996 and 2004 restricting U.S. aid to Turkey based
on its denial of this crime against humanity.

Despite threats of retribution, Turkey has taken only token steps
against the European Parliament, Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Belgium, Argentina, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden,
Switzerland and other states and international bodies that have
recognized the Armenian genocide.

In fact, despite all its threats in 2001 against France's recognition
of the Armenian genocide, trade between France and Turkey grew 22%
the following year, and has grown by 131% over the past five years.

Kenneth V. Hachikian Chairman Armenian National Committee of America
Washington

Mr. Parris advocates that the recognition of the genocide of the
Armenians be shelved so that among other concerns candid voices
by progressive Turks like Orhan Pamuk are not drowned out. Do we
have to remind ourselves that there was no talk about the genocide
resolution when charges were brought against the Nobel Laureate and
many other scholars and journalists? Irrespective of what sublime bill
the American legislature adopts, Turkey will continue its abhorrent
attitude toward free thinkers unless the draconian rules in its
criminal code are swept away.

Dikran Abrahamian, M.D.

Ontario, Canada

Every time a congressional resolution on the Armenian genocide is
introduced, the theme of "now is not the time" is rolled out. The
previous moment came in 2000 when the House was poised to reaffirm
the fact of the Armenian genocide.

President Clinton successfully made the timing appeal to Speaker
Hastert, who pulled the resolution from the schedule moments before
it surely would have passed. A not so grateful Turkey subsequently
denied a stunned United States any cooperation in dealing with Iraq.

To date, more than 170 Democrat and Republican members of Congress
have co-sponsored the current genocide resolution.

Clearly there is growing bipartisan congressional support for action
now to reaffirm Armenian history and confront genocide denial.

The Republic of Turkey denies this crime and demands that friends
around the world join in their revisionism. If friends do not, Turkey
threatens them with reprisals.

Simultaneously, Turkey criminalizes free speech and prosecutes its
citizens for daring to speak the truth. Unless Turkey opts to deal
forthrightly with its genocidal legacy, international recognition of
the Armenian genocide will never be opportune.

It is long past time for the U.S. to reaffirm the Armenian genocide
despite Turkish threats and to support those in Turkey who serve
democracy and reform by speaking freely. Now is precisely the time
to act.

Ross Vartian Executive Director U.S.-Armenia Public Affairs Committee
Washington

URL for this article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117366314028033780.html

Hyperlinks in this Article: (1)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117288912197925672.

[Gavur]

I hope Israel will be the last country (infact I'm sure of it!) that recognises our holocoust.

Israel won't discuss Armenian massacre

TEL AVIV, Israel, March 14 (UPI) -- Fears that discussing the Armenian genocide would disrupt Israel's relations with Turkey led lawmakers to drop the issue Wednesday.

Voting 15 to 12, the Israeli legislature rejected a call by Knesset Member Haim Oron of the dovish opposition Meretz Party to discuss the massacre that next month will mark its 80th anniversary. Ottoman Turks have killed almost 1.5 million Armenians and deported more than 500,000 others then, Oron noted.

"Especially as a people who knew the Shoah (Nazi Holocaust) ... fought its denial, we must show special sensitivity to another nation's disaster," he said.

However Haaretz noted that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni wanted the motion killed because they feared a crisis with Turkey.

Oron said the Prime Minister's office had asked him to drop the subject and Livni, called him twice asking him to let go.

Health Minister Yaakov Ben-Yizri, who spoke on Livni's behalf, said Israel understands the Armenians' sensitivity, each side tried to proves its case, and Israel hopes they could have an open dialogue to heal wounds.

The Turks have been particularly sensitive to U.S. moves to recognize that massacre as "genocide."

Turkish Daily News noted that in the past month Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit and a Turkish parliamentary delegation met U.S. Congressmen and administration officials to prevent a decision recognizing the Armenian massacre as genocide.

They argued such a decision would be a psychological victory for the Armenians, and a cause for claiming compensation and territory.

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070314-054719-8332r

[1.5 million]

80th Aniversary? Are we sure that this is current news? I think it must be a typo or something...

[Gavur]

Good thing they got the 1.5 M right
Hmmm!
80 or 180 feels like 2.000 years.

[Gavur]

recognition by Israel is impossible as long as they stay a Zionist run and directed state and as long as they have unwashed hands of innocent blood.
Infact I would personally refuse their recognition when the time comes.

[Gavur]

Besides I believe it is the first time allowed for a vote .
probably because since Turk forces are in Lebanon and Israel still has some unfinished business there so they are rattling their hardware .
Why do we always have to be other peoples weapons?
I'm sick and tired of it !!!!!!!!
unworthy ones at that.

[1.5 million]

Did I mention that I was recently (2 weeks ago?) banned from the Israeli forum strictly for protesting their ban on any discussions related to the Armenian Genocide. Actually all I said was:

"I have no interest or intent to debate the Armenian Genocide. It is fact and is essentially undebatable. Many issues are discussed in this forum that are perhaps tangental to the primary intent of discussion/debate concerning Israel and politics and such sorounding Israel and associated Arab issues. The Holocaust is an issue that directly touches all Jews and it will certainly be a subject of discusion in any Jewish forum. As a great many of the issues and much of the emotion surounding the holocaust paralles the experience of Armenians such as myself - when news/issues/discussions relating to the Holocaust (such as its denial) arise very often I, being Armenian and having a history of being persecuted and slaughtered as a people in very much the same way as Jews were in the Holocaust - with a great great many parallels - well these issues will stir in me similar emotion as Jews will often feel directly related to news and discussions concerning the Holocaust. I can directly relate to these things through my family experience and our experience as a people - so I will articulate my thoughts based on these relationships. Likewise their are political issues affecting Turkey, Armenia and Israel of relevance. You can't expect that I will not post on these issues where I find them to be very relevant to the discussions on this forum - certainly more so then a great variety of topics presented and discussed here. And it would not be possible for me to contribute here honestly and in being myself if I could not interject into these discussions what I know and feel in a meaningful way. I would just leave if restricted in this manner."

And this was my last post - they banned me...

[Gavur]

It's their loss
I read some of the stuff there
They are mostly Zionixt or wannabe's
Heart is where your home,nation and your god is .

[1.5 million]

It's their loss
I read some of the stuff there
They are mostly Zionixt or wannabe's
Heart is where your home,nation and your god is .

I agree - it is their loss (for a variety of reasons). Most, but not all, posters there are right wing Jews - mostly from the states I think - so there was not much I could ever say that would get through to them. There is/was a significant undercurrent of more enlightned folks however and I recieved a great deal of encouragment (through PMs) from various Jews there to keep up what I was doing (in regards to Armenian Genocide recognition and putting it to the Turks - ie countering their frequent denial). I recieved several PMs that various Turks were desperatly PMing Jews there trying to get support in denying the Armenian Genocide. I never saw much direct sucess (with Jews outright denying - some attempted to minimise or take various Turkish lines that it was killing on both sides etc - but most were either apathetic and didn;t get involved - or if they did were supportive) - and a number, at least privatly to me - acknowledged the Genocide and encouraged me (unfourtunatly the mods there were not supportive). Several indicated that they had at least told off the Turks via PM - and some opposed them publically as well. I consider myself a supporter of Israel BTW - even if I have issues with both Zionism (as I do with any nationalism of this nature) and of course I have issues (which I expressed) about specific Israeli stances and actions and that of certain leaders and politicians. I think it is a mistake, however to generalize regarding all Israelis and or all Jews as there is more diversity of views then others give credit too. The problem is that the extremists hold sway - just as with the Arabs/Muslims...and those who hold more comprimising views are often afraid to speak out.