CYPRUS ARMENIANS MARK GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY

Cyprus Mail
25 April 06

THE ARMENIAN community in Cyprus yesterday marked the 91st anniversary
of the 1915 genocide in which one and a half million of their people
were killed by Ottoman forces.

In commemoration of the genocide, a special church service was held at
the Armenian church in Nicosia attended by Greek Cypriot politicians.

House President Demetris Christofias who addressed the congregation
said the genocide of the Armenian people was a crime recognised by
almost all countries but denied by Turkey.

“It is time Turkey recognised this historical reality,” said
Christofias.

He called on the EU to pressure Turkey to acknowledge the massacre
of the Armenian people, and also the invasion of Cyprus.

The Armenian Genocide was carried out by the ‘Young Turk’ government
of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1916. Over a million Armenians were
killed, out of a total of two and a half million Armenians living
under the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey still claims that Armenians were only removed from the eastern
“war zone”.

In addition to yesterday’s church service, the Armenian community also
organised a photographic exhibition at Nicosia’s Eleftheria Square on
Sunday and a procession along Armenias Avenue followed by a memorial
service at 8.30pm at the Armenian Genocide monument in the evening.