Armenian tragedy
The Guardian – United Kingdon
Dec 15, 2004
* Armenia accuses Turkey of genocide in the deaths of 1.5 million
people between 1915 and 1923, when the Ottoman empire was breaking
up. It says they were massacred or died in epidemics during their
forced deportations from eastern Turkey to Syria and Mesopotamia.
* Ankara flatly denies the genocide, says the death count is
exaggerated and that those Armenians who died were just some of many
victims of the geo-strategic turbulence of the time.
* In 2001 the French parliament recognised the killings as genocide,
sparking huge protests. A motion was tabled in the Turkish parliament
accusing France of genocide during Algeria’s 1955-62 war of
independence.