The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

[Mher]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

Turkey Condemns Russia For Armenian Genocide Recognition

Turkey on Friday strongly condemned President Vladimir Putin and the State Duma for reaffirming Russia’s recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire but stopped short of recalling its ambassador in Moscow.

“We reject and condemn the labelling of the 1915 events as ‘genocide’ by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, despite all our warnings and calls. Such political statements, which are flagrant violation of law, are null and void for Turkey,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry charged that Russia itself is guilty of mass killings committed in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia over the past century and has no moral right to accuse other states of genocide.

Putin referred to the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide in a statement issued on Wednesday. He went on to take part in Friday’s official commemorations in Yerevan of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

“More than 1.5 million innocent people were murdered and maimed, while over 600,000 others were deported from their homes and subjected to mass repressions,” Putin said in a speech at the ceremony. “Many priceless architectural monuments and shrines were destroyed and ancient books and invaluable manuscripts burned down.”

Later in the day, the State Duma adopted a statement expressing “deep sympathy for brotherly Armenia in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.” The lower house of Russia’s parliament had first recognized the genocide in 1995.

“We also condemn this statement,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

“The participation of the Russian President in the April 24th ceremonies in Yerevan, the show stage of the centennial propaganda campaign of Armenia, should be considered in this context as well,” it added.

Despite the harsh criticism, Ankara did not recall the Turkish ambassador to Russia or announce other retaliatory measures against Moscow.

The Turkish ambassadors to the Vatican and Austria were swiftly recalled this after Pope Francis and the Austrian parliament described the Armenian massacres as genocide.

http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/26977136.html

[Chubs]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

One of the most misrepresented aspects of the genocide is the statement that the Genocide was carried out during the Ottoman Empire.
As far as I am aware the Young Turks came to power in 1908.

Although the massacres started in 1890s during Sultan Hamid's reign, It was the young Turks that organised and executed the genocide.
Founders of modern Turkey.

Many Turks dont even realize it, but the extermination of Armenians is the only reason why they have a state

[Artashes]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

One of the most misrepresented aspects of the genocide is the statement that the Genocide was carried out during the Ottoman Empire.
As far as I am aware the Young Turks came to power in 1908.

Although the massacres started in 1890s during Sultan Hamid's reign, It was the young Turks that organised and executed the genocide.
Founders of modern Turkey.

---- one of the most misrepresented aspects of the genocide ---
You are right. This -- mis/reprentation -- is on purpose. The purpose is to put the blame on the automums as if they were different than the turcs of today, thereby making the turcs of today not responsible.
Nothing more than turc & cohorts falsification (misrepresentation) of the truth.

--------------------------------

Read an article today of an interview of an Armenia American judge (federal-USA).
In this article the judge pointed out that his parents (or grandparents?) --- never smiled. These people had witnessed the murders and tortures of the genocide.
My grandparents were amongst the quietest people I have ever known. I never realized till I read the judges comment that my grandparents basically never smiled.

[londontsi]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

One of the most misrepresented aspects of the genocide is the statement that the Genocide was carried out during the Ottoman Empire.
As far as I am aware the Young Turks came to power in 1908.

Although the massacres started in 1890s during Sultan Hamid's reign, It was the young Turks that organised and executed the genocide.
Founders of modern Turkey.

[Mher]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

There is nothing more appalling than the English press. BCC, The Economist, and the rest should just outsource their Armenia related articles to Turkey to save some costs. Hell, leading Turkish sites do a more fair job on the Genocide than these animals.

[hipeter924]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

I wish that the project to get a genocide museum project here in DC got off the ground, but ended up mothballed and dead due to squabbles between those who wanted to fund it, and those that wanted to run it. Would sure embarrass the genocide deniers in the US government, if they were forced to be in the same city as a museum not only commemorating one holocaust but two.

[londontsi]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

Armenian killings were genocide - German president




German President Joachim Gauck has described as "genocide" the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks, a move likely to cause outrage in Turkey.

He was speaking on the eve of a debate in the German parliament on the issue.

The Armenian Church earlier canonised 1.5 million Armenians it says were killed in massacres and deportations by Ottoman Turks during World War One.

Turkey disputes the term "genocide", arguing that there were many deaths on both sides during the conflict.

On Friday commemorations will mark the 100th anniversary of the killings.
German 'responsibility'

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."

Mr Gauck, who holds a largely ceremonial role, 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 One.

His comments come as the German parliament, the Bundestag, prepares to debate a motion on the 1915 massacres.

But instead of a clear statement of condemnation, politicians will discuss an opaque, tortuously-worded sentence, which aims to be unclear enough to keep everyone happy - with the sort of convoluted phrasing that the German language is so good at, the BBC's Damien McGuinness in Berlin reports.

Germany joins Armenia genocide debate

Explosive issue .......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32437633

.

[Tsov]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

‘They did not succeed in erasing us from the earth’: Armenian president interview
22/04 16:06 CET

Marking 100 years since the Armenian massacres, euronews met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in the capital Yerevan. Here we spoke of Armenia’s place in the modern world, Armenian-Turkish relations and the recognition of the killings by Turkey. Olaf Bruns, euronews: President, these days your country commemorates atrocious events, an unspeakable suffering that happened to your people. And even 100 years later, the wounds still seem deep. What is your message to the world? Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President: The events that will commemorate the victims of the genocide contain in themselves a few messages. The first one is the message of remembrance. We think the crimes against humanity can not be forgotten with time. The second message during the events is gratitude, which is directly linked to the message of remembrance. It is gratitude to those individuals, organizations and nations and states that at the most difficult moment for us spoke up and extended a helpful hand to us and helped some of our people to survive. The third message is a mix of both remembrance and gratitude that leads towards prevention against the recurrence of such crimes and it is our duty to find out and point out the patterns and the causal relations that can later turn into this type of crime. With this we say that it is necessary to fight against these particular phenomena in order to be able to prevent future genocides and other crimes against humanity from recurring. And a final general message, the fourth one, is the message of a nation rising from the ashes. We say that those who wished us harm did not succeed in erasing us from the earth. Olaf Bruns, euronews: Everybody agrees of course that lessons must be drawn from the past. But even 100 years later, Turkey and Armenia still seem entrenched in this debate. Is there a way for your countries to move forward to work together on other topics, or will it be a stumbling block that keeps them apart? Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President: I myself in my capacity as the president of the Republic of Armenia have tried two times to embark upon this path. And the two presidents who preceded me tried to embark upon that same path. We have declared our intention to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without any preconditions. After that, parties could have discussed and addressed all issues that exist between them. The second such attempt was made on the eve of the Armenian genocide centennial. Several months in advance I sent a letter to the president of Turkey. That letter was delivered in person by our foreign minister to the appropriate Turkish officials, so it was not just a publicised action. And by that letter I invited him to partake in the April 24th events and to express jointly condolences and commemorate all victims. But the Turkish authorities decided otherwise: They decided to hold on April 24th – our genocide remembrance day – celebrations for the Gallipoli battle. Olaf Bruns, euronews: In the past days the Turkish side has unleashed all their anger, there were harsh statements, unusually harsh reactions to the statement of the pope, to a resolution voted by the European parliament. What is your feeling when your hear theses expressions of anger? Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President: For us those statements and reactions of the Turkish side were not in any way or shape unexpected. We have always heard and witnessed their denialist posturing. We have also seen that every time they renewed their toolbox of denial. With regard to the statement by His Holiness, I consider that to be an appropriate one. You know, I believe that a world free of crimes against humanity can be achieved only with the leadership of strong people. His holiness is a great leader, just and truth speaking. Olaf Bruns, euronews: What would you wish the Turkish side to say? Or put differently: If they’d recognize the term genocide, would you consider everything to be alright in the relations? Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President: Without doubt, the recognition of the genocide by the Turks is the shortest path to reconciliation of our nations. And it is my strong conviction: if it is done, and if it is done sincerely, I believe in a short period of time relations between Armenia and Turkey would be elevated to a new, quite high level. Olaf Bruns, euronews: Turkey had suggested the formation of an international committee of historians who would settle the issue once and for all and it would accept the outcome of this. In your view, what is wrong with this proposal? Serzh Sargsyan, Armenian President: First, from the very beginning it is incorrect since I am not aware of a case that historians sat down, made a decision and the question was settled once and for all. This was the first point. Secondly, I can not imagine how such a commission shall operate, since the Turkish historians would be under pressure of the Turkish society and Turkish authorities’ pressure, and the Armenian historians would be under the pressure of the Armenian society and Armenian authorities’. But even these are not the most important arguments. The most important is the following: the specialized structures, countries that posses the largest archives on this issue have no doubts about it. There are no doubts about it and I again return to what happened at the Vatican: What do you think, isn’t the Vatican one of the most well informed of the events that unfolded during the First World War? What do you think, does the Vatican feel a shortage of well-educated historians? For us such a proposal in itself is an insulting one since it questions the very fact and veracity of the Armenian genocide. Ultimately, what will the historians find out? How many people died? And is there a significant difference whether one and a half million people or one million four hundred forty nine thousand people died?

Link (With VIDEO): http://www.euronews.com/2015/04/22/a...cre-centenary/

[londontsi]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 21, 2015


President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of
Armenia to Attend the Centennial Commemoration of the Events of 1915


President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a
Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Armenia to attend the
Centennial Commemoration of the Events of 1915 on April 24, 2015.

The Honorable Jacob J. Lew, Secretary of the Department of Treasury,
will lead the delegation.

_ _

_Members of the Presidential Delegation:_

_ _

The Honorable Richard M. Mills, Jr., United States Ambassador to the
Republic of Armenia, Department of State

The Honorable Jackie `Kanchelian' Speier, Member of the United States
House of Representatives (CA-14)

The Honorable Frank Pallone, Jr., Member of the United States House of
Representatives (NJ-6)

The Honorable Anna G. Eshoo, Member of the United States House of
Representatives (CA-18)

The Honorable Dave Trott, Member of the United States House of
Representatives (MI-11)

.

[ara87]

Re: The 100th Anniversary - and Events to Mark it

By the by, Obama will not use the word "Genocide" in his address, and Germany is still going to debate whether or not to call it a genocide. On the plus side though, Austria recognized it.