Armenian National Committee of America
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PRESS RELEASE
December 15, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA WELCOMES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VOTE
PRESSING TURKEY TO RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) today welcomed the adoption by the European Parliament of
three strongly worded measures calling on Turkey to properly
recognize the Armenian Genocide. These measures were actively
supported by the Brussels-based European Armenian Federation
[ANC-Europe], which represents more than two hundred Armenian
associations across Europe.
The provisions were added, on the eve of the December 17th vote
of the European Council on opening European Union membership
talks with Turkey, as amendments to a Parliamentary report on
Turkey’s progress toward accession to the European Union. This
report, prepared by Camiel Eurlings (PPE/The Netherlands) was
passed by a vote of 407 to 262. Significantly, the report
stressed, in Paragraph 55, that, “the opening of negotiations
will be the starting point for a long-lasting process […] and
does not lead ‘a priori’ and automatically to accession.” An
amendment to the report suggesting that Turkey be granted a
“privileged partnership” rather than actual membership in the
European Union was rejected by a secret ballot.
“Armenian Americans join with the European Armenian Federation
and Armenians across Europe in welcoming this historic vote
reaffirming the international consensus that Turkey must
recognize the Armenian Genocide, lift its blockade of Armenia,
and abandon it hostile policies toward Armenia and the Armenian
people,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The
strong support for these measures across the European political
spectrum has resonance around the world, including here in the
United States, where a growing number of American legislators
are growing tired of increasingly strident – often desperate –
Turkish efforts to dictate U.S. policy on the Armenian
Genocide.”
The Eurling Report made specific reference to Armenian issues in
eight separate paragraphs, with three dealing specifically with
Armenian Genocide recognition. Amendments on the Genocide were
brought to the floor by four political groups (EPP, PSE, ALDE,
United Left, Independence/Democracy), respectively by Mr. Toubon
(EPP/France), Mr. Poignant (PSE/France) and Mrs. Carlotti
(PSE/France), Mrs. De Sarnez (ALDE/France), Mr. Wurtz (United
Left/France) and Mr. Belder ( IND/DEM / Netherlands).
In the end, the European Parliament urged Turkey to “promote the
process of reconciliation with the Armenian people by
acknowledging the genocide” and called on the European Council
and Commission to demand this country to “formally acknowledge
the historic reality” of the Genocide.
The European Armenian Federation (EAFJD) welcomed the adoption
of the Eurling Report and the three amendments clearly
articulating the European consensus that Turkey must acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide. “On the eve of the European Summit,
heads of state must, as they chart a course for the future, take
into account the democratic will of the European electorate and
our elected representatives in the European Parliament,” stated
Hilda Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European Armenian
Federation. “This is a tremendous victory for Europeans who want
to preserve European values in the face of Turkey’s ongoing
denial of the Genocide,” she continued.
Since the European Parliament resolution of 1987, which set the
recognition of the Armenian genocide as a precondition to the
consideration of Turkish accession to the Union, the European
Parliament has continuously restated this principled position in
successive resolutions. This message was reinforced earlier
this week by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, who called
on Turkey to recognize the genocide against the Armenians. The
clear consensus within European circles remains: Turkey cannot
join the Union without giving up its ultra-nationalist and
aggressive policy towards Armenia. European Armenians urge the
upcoming meeting of the European Council to reflect the will of
the European public, to honor this vote of the European
Parliament, and to respect the European values on which the
European project is based,” concluded the chairperson of the
European Armenian Federation.
The full text of the Armenia related paragraphs in the Eurling
resolution are provided below.
#####
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* Amendments Introduced and Adopted at the European Parliament
December 15th plenary session
—————————————————————–
Amendment 80 – Bernard Poignant, Pierre Moscovici, Marie-Arlette
Carlotti, Harlem Désir, Martine Roure and others adopted by 470
against 198
EEa. whereas the Turkish authorities have likewise still not
complied with the calls concerning the other Armenian issues
made by Parliament in its resolution of 18 June 1987,
Amendment 18 – Francis Wurtz and Dimitrios Papadimoulis adopted
by 395 against 273
34a Calls on Turkey to promote the process of reconciliation
with the Armenian people by acknowledging the genocide
perpetrated against the Armenians as expressed in Parliament’s
earlier resolutions with regard to Turkey’s candidate status
(from 18 June 1987 to 1 April 2004);
Amendment 83 – Jacques Toubon and others adopted by 332 against
325
35a. Calls on the Commission and the Council to demand that the
Turkish authorities formally acknowledge the historic reality of
the genocide perpetrated against the Armenians in 1915 and open
the border between Turkey and Armenia at an early date, in
accordance with the resolutions adopted by the European
Parliament between 1987 and 2004;
—————————————————————–
* Amendments first drafted and adopted by the European
Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee later approved by the
European Parliament plenary session
—————————————————————–
EE whereas the border between Turkey and Armenia has still
not been re-opened by the Turkish authorities, who have thereby
missed an opportunity to promote good neighbourly relations with
Armenia.
7. Welcomes in particular the reform of criminal
procedure, strengthening the rights of the defence; considers
however that Article 305 of the new Turkish Penal Code, which
sanctions alleged “threats to fundamental national interests”,
and the explanatory statement of which targets freedom of
expression, in particular related to the Cyprus and Armenia
issues, is incompatible with the 1950 Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; calls
therefore for its repeal;
35. Believes that the Governments of Turkey and Armenia have
to continue their process of reconciliation, possibly with the
assistance of a bilateral committee of independent experts, in
order to overcome explicitly the tragic experience of the past,
and requests the Turkish Government to re-open the borders with
Armenia as soon as possible.