TURKEY: ARMENIANS RECALL ANNIVERSARY OF ‘GENOCIDE’

AKI, Italy
April 24 2006

Istanbul, 24 April (AKI) – Armenians worldwide Monday commemorated the
anniversary of the alleged genocide of more than 1,3 million Armenians
in 1915-1921 with the biggest demonstrations in New York, Brussels
and Paris. Turkey, which is seeking to join the European Union, is
under growing pressure to recognise its role in the slaughter. Ankara
firmly maintains the deaths of Armenians during the collapse of the
Ottoman empire were not part of a genocidal campaign, arguing that
many ethnic Turks were also killed in that period.

The Istanbul chief of Human Rights Association, Eren Keskin on Monday
said that 24 April symbolises the Armenian genocide and the state
should face with this fact.

“Denying the word ‘genocide’ is also denying the huge pain that
Armenians lived. Denying the genocide is a violation of human rights.

Denying the genocide is also preventing the mourning of Armenians”
she said in a press released on Monday.

The official view that the 1915-21 mass killings of Christian Armenians
under Muslim Ottoman rule never took place

Nearly 5,000 people marched after the service in St. Sarkisian
Church in Tehran. Under heavy security, the protestors chanted
‘Accept the genocide.’

In December 2005, French foreign minister Michel Barnier announced
that Turkey would be expected to recognize the event during EU
accession negotiations.

Best-selling Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk was prosecuted last year for
“insulting Turkish identity” by referring to the Armenian genocide in
a Swiss newspaper interview. Charges were dropped in February after
considerable international protest.

Small Armenian groups protested in front of the Turkish Embassy in
both Jerusalem and Tbilisi, Georgia.

Photo: Armenian protestors in Tehran insisting that the genocide of
1915-21 is recognised by Turkey.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress