ARMENIANS SEEK LANDS, RECOGNITION
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer

Los Angeles Daily News
April 25 2006

Thousands of Armenian-Americans protested in front of the Turkish
Consulate on Monday, demanding that the country recognize the 1915
genocide of their people.

But the protesters, marching on the day when Armenians commemorate the
genocide every year, also had other demands beyond Turkey’s recognition
of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in the former Ottoman Empire.

Alleging that historically Armenian lands were stolen during the
genocide, protesters chanted, “Eastern Turkey is Western Armenia”
and “Get your hands off my lands.”

Police estimated that up to 3,000 demonstrators took part in Monday’s
protest at the Turkish Consulate.

“They want recognition first of all,” said Ani Garibyan, spokeswoman
for the Armenian Youth Federation, which organized the demonstration.

“They also want the land that they lost and the houses they lost. And
Turkey needs to pay up as well, just like Germany has been doing to
the Jewish (Holocaust) survivors and their families.”

Turkey contends there was no genocide of Armenians and they are not
willing to pay reparations or hand over land.

“Can anybody give any land to anybody today? In today’s world it’s not
possible,” said Engin Ansay, consul general of Turkey in Los Angeles.

Turkey’s position does not sit well with protesters like Lida
Zohrabyan, 47, of Glendale.

But she could not say how much of the land should be returned.

“That’s our politicians’ matter,” she said. “But we want justice.”