Eurasianet Organization
April 22 2005
SOLEMN OCCASION: ARMENIA REMEMBERS
A EURSIANET PHOTO STORY BY JONATHAN ALPERYIE: 4/22/05
Armenia on April 24 will mark the 90th anniversary of what Yerevan
views as the systematic slaughter of about 1.5 million Armenians
living in what was then Ottoman Turkey.
The Armenian and Turkish governments continue to hold differing
interpretations of the events and circumstances surrounding the
mass killings and deportation of Armenians from 1915-23. President
Robert Kocharian’s administration in Yerevan has made it a top foreign
policy priority to secure international recognition of the tragedy as
genocide. Meanwhile, Turkish leaders say the mass deaths of Armenians
were linked to a partisan struggle amid the upheaval of World War I
and its aftermath.
In recent days, Armenia has received increasing international support
for its genocide recognition efforts. On April 22, the Russian Duma
adopted a resolution that called on the international community to
recognize the tragedy of 1915-23 as genocide, adding that it ranked
among the most “cruel” events in the 20th century, the Moscow News
website reported.
The Polish parliament, in a resolution adopted April 18, recognized
the events as genocide. On April 21, former Polish president Lech
Walesa, in Yerevan to attend commemoration events, said in a speech
that Turkey should have to admit its role in the Armenian genocide as
a condition for entry into the European Union. German officials have
likewise indicated they will urge Turkey to recognize the events of
1915-23 as genocide.
Turkish officials have criticized Poland’s “genocide” resolution. At
the same time, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on April 22
called on Armenian officials to “respond to goodwill gestures” aimed
at normalizing bilateral relations, the Anatolia news agency reported.