European Armenian Federation
for Justice & Democracy
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN CIVIL SOCIETY
Signed by 261 associations throughout Europe
Please find attached the English, French, German and Italian version of the joint statement.
Dear Members of Parliament,
We, European citizens, follow up with a sustained attention the Union enlargement process and especially the developments relating to Turkey’s controversial candidature.
We took note of the report on `Turkey’s progress towards accession’ voted on Monday September 4 by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. We particularly noticed with delight that the European Parliament `reiterates its call on Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian genocide, as called for un the previous European Parliament resolutions of 15 December 2004 and 28 September 2005′ and `considers such acknowledgment to be a precondition for European Union accession’.
We were also informed about threatening pressures exerted on you by Turkey and the disinformation campaign in order to remove this mention. As citizens of the Union, we are absolutely indignant that a foreign power with radically anti-European values can thus alter the sovereign appreciation formulated by our European representation on this issue.
This is why we take the liberty of reminding you the following facts:
1. The call for the Armenian genocide acknowledgment as a precondition by the European Parliament does not constitute at all an additional requirement towards Turkey. This requirement was clearly formulated in almost the same wording, less than a year ago, in the resolution on `opening the negotiations with Turkey":
`The European Parliament calls on Turkey to recognise the Armenian genocide; considers this recognition to be a prerequisite for accession to the European Union’ (P6_TA(2005)0350, 28/09/2005);
This formulation is in the political line of those written in the preceding resolutions of 18 June 1987 and 15 December 2004. To water down or to remove it would constitute an obvious sign given to Turkey that the European Parliament is on the point of denying its principles,
2. The fact that such a condition was not formally imposed to other Candidate States does not constitute an argument proving its non-admissibility. The application of other States even would not be taken into consideration. The acknowledgement of its crimes by the State who perpetrated it is an accession criteria,
3. the calls reiterated by the European Parliament concerning this issue allowed the beginning of timid debates in Turkey. Weakening these demands would constitute an objective support to nationalists who want to eliminate in Turkey some dissident voices on this matter and to keep Turkey away from our European standards,
4. Turkey, who claims to wish to debate on this question, still has not answered to the Armenian president proposal which consists in establishing an intergovernmental commission in order to examine how to solve all the problems between the two countries and to create diplomatic relations. On the other hand, Turkey continues to deploy its denialist strategy in terms of historians committees and opening of archives in order to extract the genocide question from the political context of its candidature for the Union,
5. The denial policy of Turkey is not only a permanent offence to our European values, it is also the mark of an ultranationalist and racial ideology which constitutes a concrete threat towards our societies and our children.
Communities throughout Europe which are watching with anxiety the negotiating process with Turkey will be terribly disappointed seeing the EP retreat from the very laudable position established by its Foreign Affairs Committee on such a fundamental principle. We urge you to come forward with a proud vote upholding the Parliament’s commitment in this matter."
Consequently, we urge you to maintain in plenary session the clear and adequate formulation of the paragraph 49 adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee.
1. Mechitaristen Kongregation, AUSTRIA
2. Armenische Studentenvereinigung (ASV) und Östereich-Armenisches Sportkomitee (ÖASK) Ararat, AUSTRIA
3. Armenischer Allgemeiner Sport- und Pfadfinder Verein Wien (H.M.E.M) , AUSTRIA
4. Verein für die Betreuung von Migranten und Asylanten (HUYS-SPES) , AUSTRIA
5. Europäische Armenische Föderation für Justiz und Demokratie in Österreich, AUSTRIA
6. Armenisch-Apostolische Kirchengemeinde Österreichs St. Hripsime (Kirchengemeinde), AUSTRIA
7. Comité des Arméniens de Belgique, BELGIUM
8. FRA Tashnagtsoutioun, BELGIUM
9. Armenian youth cultural centre, BELGIUM
10. ASSOCIATION DES ARMENIENS DEMOCRATES DE BELGIQUE, BELGIUM
11. Assemblée des Représentants Arméniens de Belgique, BELGIUM
12. CCAF Centre-France, FRANCE
13. AACG Grenoble
14. ACA Vienne
15. ACA Lyon
16. ACS Villefranche
17. ADL
18. AMASC
19. ANA Grenoble
20. APECLE
21. Association Culturelle de Kharpert
22. Badanis Décines
23. C 24 Valence
24. CBAF Décines
25. CBAF Grenoble
26. CBAF Lyon-Villeuranne
27. CBAF St Maurice de Beynost
28. CBAF Vienne
29. Comité de Défense de la Cause Arménienne
30. CEDIA
31. Eglise catholique arménienne de Lyon
32. Eglise évangélique arménienne de Décines
33. Eglise évangélique arménienne de Lyon
34. FRA Décines
35. FRA Grenoble
36. FRA Lyon -Villeurbanne
37. FRA Vienne
38. France Karabagh
39. France Arménie
40. MCA Charvieu
41. MCA Chasse-sur-Rhône
42. MCA Décines, MCA Grenoble
43. MCA Vienne
44. MCA Villeurbanne
45. Nor Seround Décines
46. Nor Seround Lyon
47. Radio Arménie
48. Terre et Culture
49. UCFAF
50. Union Des Associations Arméniennes de St-Etienne et St-Chamond
51. UGAB Lyon
52. UGAB Vienne
53. UNEAA Lyon et environs
54. UNEA Pont de Chéruy
55. UMAF
56. CCAF Ile-de France, FRANCE
57. A.A. Ecole TEBROTZASSERE
58. AAAG (Ecole St Mesrop)
59. AAAS
60. ACEERF (Eglise Evangélique)
61. ADL Ramgavar
62. AFAJA
63. AFAV
64. Aide pour l’Arménie
65. ANACRA
66. ARMENIE Villages
67. ASK (Soutien Kharabagh)
68. ASPA
69. Ass Sainte Croix (Eglise Catholique)
70. Association Arménie/Kharabagh
71. AYP FM
72. CBAF
73. CDCA
74. CHENE
75. Collectif VAN
76. COPEA
77. Eglise Apostolique
78. FRA Dachnaktsoutioun
79. FRA Nor Seround
80. G2 IA
81. HAMASKAINE
82. HOMENETMEN
83. JAF
84. MAFP
85. Maison de la Culture de Paris
86. NAZARPEK
87. Nouvelles d’Arménie Magazine
88. SD Hentchakian
89. SFA
90. UCAM (Arméniens de Montreuil)
91. UCFAF
92. UCIA
93. UGAB
94. UMAF
95. CCAF Sud France, FRANCE (25 associations signatrices)
96. Zentralrat der Armenier in Deutschland e.V., GERMANY
97. Armenische Gemeinde zu Berlin e.V. , GERMANY
98. Armenischer Kulturverein Hamburg e.V. , GERMANY
99. Armenische Kirche – München, GERMANY
100. Armenische Landsmannschaft zu Bayern e.V. , GERMANY
101. Armenisches Hilfswerk in Deutschland e.V. , GERMANY
102. Armenisch-Akademischer Verein 1860 e.V. , GERMANY
103. Norserunt-Deutschland, GERMANY
104. German-Armenian Studentsclub Haik, GERMANY
105. Institut für Armenische Fragen e.V. , GERMANY
106. Armenian National Committee of Greece, GREECE
107. Armenian Prelacy and National Committee of Orthodox in Greece, GREECE
108. Greek Armenian Forum, GREECE
109. Greek Armenian Friendship League, GREECE
110. Armenia Blue Cross of Greece, GREECE
111. Armenia Youth Federation, GREECE
112. Hamaskaïne Cultural Association, GREECE
113. Homenetmen, GREECE
114. Athletic Scout Organisation, GREECE
115. Armenian Charity Cross of Macedonia and Greece, GREECE
116. Azad Or : Armenian Daily Newspapers, GREECE
117. Djenazian Armenian High School, GREECE
118. Hagopian School, GREECE
119. Zavarian Armenian School, GREECE
120. Italian Civil Society Associations and Personalities, ITALY
121. AZAT
122. Redazione di ”La Voce Armena”
123. Communita Armenia
124. Consiglio per la comunità armena di roma
125. Redaction de
126. Redaction de "Akhtamar On Line"
127. Ettore Musco
128. Massimiliano De Sire
129. Gassia Manoukian
130. Tizzi Corrado
131. Mechitarian, Iganzia Maria Lucia
132. Patrizia Manduchi
133. Michelguglielmo Torri
134. Tosatti Marco
135. Aldo Baldini
136. Gloria Ruth Calfayan
137. Norberto Poggio
138. Gloria Calfayan [
139. Norberto Poggio
140. don Riccardo Pane
141. Tiziano Villa
142. rech
143. Flavia Randi
144. Deir Ghazarian
145. H.RIAN
146. flora khaciatrian
147. Rodolfo Caroselli
148. Anais Dilsizian
149. Raffi Kassapian
150. Hovsep Kassapian
151. Clara Kurkdjian
152. Angele Berberian
153. Yervant Berberian
154. Levon Balian
155. May Balian
156. Magda Balian
157. Nubar Kassapian
158. Araxi Kassapian
159. Anias Kassapian
160. Haig Kassapian
161. Yacoub Artine Hayatian
162. Barbara Faes
163. Vahan Shahbazians
164. Marilde Andreano
165. Daniela Chiappetti
166. Rodolfo Caroselli
167. Andrea Cramarossa
168. Canetta Nemo
169. Armen Gurekian
170. Tiziano Villa
171. Storia Libera
172. Pietro Salvatori
173. Dott. Matteo Compareti
174. Massimiliano De Sire
175. Michelguglielmo Torri
176. Avedis Naroyan
177. Enrico Potukian
178. GALEANDRO Angela
179. Marco Rossi
180. Anahid Zerunian
181. Wartanusch Zerunian
182. Paola Della Rosa
183. Sarkis Zerunian
184. Corrado Miceli
185. Marzia Chini
186. Simonetta Pandolfi
187. Luciano Desocio
188. Bruno, Marta
189.
190. Il Presidente Gen. Ennio Reggiani
191. Cristina Gervasi
192. Mary Avakian
193. Manuela Avakian
194. Francesco Castelli
195. Noemi Antranikian
196. Lia Avakian
197. Linda Avakian
198. Umberto Codeleoncini
199. Zekiyan Boghos
200. Nevart Cricorian
201. Arà Zarian
202. Andrea Malavolti
203. Maria Giovanna Stasolla
204. Tchakmichian Karina
205. morelli derberiaviano
206. Guido Grosso
207. Antranik Balian
208. Elisa Giunchi
209. Saro Lerner
210. Khodaveerdi Saro
211. Khodaveerdi Boranian Siranusch
212. Khodaveerdi Savadians Marò
213. Khodaveerdi Gayané
214. Boranian Gedik Alis
215. Beatrice Paccani
216. Paola Barbara Conti
217. Faticato Camillo
218. Mirco Medici
219. Giovannamr Rizzi
220. Lucia Menichelli
221. Gaetano Tursi
222. Emanuele Aliprandi
223. Aldo Ferrari
224. Roberta Aluffi
225. Edoardo De Giovanni
226. Beatrice Paccani
227. Federica Mancinelli
228. Arnaldo Peretta
229. Mildonian Paola
230. Francesca Giovannoni
231. Heratch Abdalian
232. Abdalian Armine
233. Nederlandse Armeense comité voor Rechtvaardigheid en Democratie(Haytad), NETHERLANDS
234. Armenian Cultural -Sport Union Almelo (Homentmen), NETHERLANDS
235. ANI Cultureel huis, NETHERLANDS
236. ARF Dashnaksoutyoun – Holland, NETHERLANDS
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
