German Communist Party disowns Armenian Genocide denier

ArmRadio.am
12.01.2007 11:35

Germany’s ‘Die Linke’ party (ex-PDS), during its Congress sharply
criticized one of its leading members, Hakki Keskin, for denying the
Armenian Genocide.

The comments by Mr. Keskin, the former president of the German Turkish
Central Council, generated outrage within his party and drew
condemnations from Conservatives, Socialists and even German Greens.

In order to distance itself from Keskin’s denials – and restore its
standing as a party dedicated to human rights – the leftist party led
by Oskar Lafontaine and Grygor Gysi published a press release
reaffirming, for the record, that "the fact of the Armenian people’s
extermination [by the Turkish Ottoman government] is not a subject to
be questioned" and that "the resolution adopted by the Bundestag in
2005 concerning this issue constitutes the basis of the Die Linke
party’s position."

Despite this clear renunciation, Mr. Keskin said that he continues to
deny this crime against humanity. He then associated himself with Bodo
Ramelow, the vice-president of the Die Linke party, who believes that,
rather than focusing on the Armenian Genocide, it would be better to
draw attention to the Turkish population’s suffering during the World
War I. "The European Armenian Federation is pleased that the Die
Linke party, in affirming its official position, has returned to the
mainstream view among German political parties condemning Turkey’s
denial of the Armenian Genocide," said Laurent Leylekian, the
Executive Director of the European Armenian Federation.

"We remain troubled by the attempts – very common among deniers – at
an artificial even-handedness that would equate the suffering of all
populations during World War I – including the people of Turkey ` with
Ottoman Turkey’s planned, systematic, and brutal campaign to destroy
its Armenian population," added Leylekian.

The European Armenian Federation welcomes the vigilance of Germany’s
civil society – and particularly the German Armenians Central Council
` in monitoring and challenging genocide denial. Thanks to their
action, the Die Linke party ended the abuse of their good name by
genocide deniers and returned to their traditional support for justice
and moral public policy.