GERMANY LIFTS BAN ON TALAT PASHA DEMONSTRATION
New Anatolian, Turkey
March 16 2006
The German Administrative Court late Tuesday lifted a ban on the Talat
Pasha demonstration, saying that the march will not harm Armenians.
The march set for Saturday in Berlin aims to have recognition of
the Armenian genocide claims by European countries rescinded. The
court’s decision follows a ban imposed on the march by Berlin’s police
department on Monday.
The court also underlined in its decision that the march isn’t an
insult to the souls of dead Armenians.
The march, which has the slogan “Take your flag and come to Berlin,”
has caused tension between Turkey and Germany. Flyers announcing
the movement read, “If Western capitals don’t want to be burned like
Paris, unjust treatment towards Turkey must end.” Workers’ Party (IP)
leader Dogu Perincek and former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) President Rauf Denktas will lead the planned demonstration
with the participation of many representatives from Turkish political
parties and European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within the
framework of the Talat Pasha Movement. The main aim of the group is to
put pressure on the German Parliament to remove official recognition
of the Armenian genocide claims. The movement also aims to attract
some 5 million supporters, including some 1,000 from Turkey.
Denktas is expected to lay flowers at the place in Berlin where
Talat Pasha was assassinated on March 15, 1921 by an Armenian, and
an assembly will gather in a memorial for Talat Pasha on Sunday.
In an effort to hamper these efforts, the German Embassy in Ankara
turned down yesterday visa applications for some who might be intending
to participate in the demonstration.
