PRIOR TO ADMISSION TO EU TURKEY MUST OPEN ITS BORDERS WITH ARMENIA AND RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE OF 1915
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 19 2006
YEREVAN, April 19. /ARKA/. Prior to the admission to the EU Turkey
must open its borders with Armenia and recognize the Armenian genocide
of 1915, Chairman of the commission for the EU-Armenia parliamentary
cooperation Marie-Anne-Isler-Beguin told a press conference in Yerevan.
“I cannot imagine that the EU will admit a country having closed
borders with a neighbor country, and denying the crime committed
before,” she said.
According to her, the issue of opening the borders by Turkey and
recognition of the Armenian genocide was long discussed in the EU.
And now, a relevant resolution, imposing this requirement on Turkey
as a candidate for the admission to the EU, has been approved.
“We work on these issues every day, and our stand has not changed
over this time. Turkey must recognize the Armenian genocide,” she said.
The Armenian genocide of 1915-1923 is considered the first genocide
of the 20th century that was organized and systematically executed by
the Young Turkish government. Over 1.5mln of Armenians were massacred
in various regions of Western Armenia, which was part of the Ottoman
Empire in 1915.
The fact of this genocide was recognized by many countries. Among
them are Uruguay, Russia, France, Argentine, Greece, the lower house
of Italy’s parliament, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Belgium, Wales,
the National Council of Switzerland, the House of Commons of Canada’s
parliament and Poland’s Seym.