NYC Independent Media Center, NY
April 21 2007

Turkish Denial of Armenian Genocide (IndyKids)

The May/June 2007 IndyKids is Out!

By Lucine Kasbarian

April 24 symbolizes the beginning of the Armenian Genocide, which
destroyed 1.5 million Armenians, as well as hundreds of thousands
of Assyrians and Pontic Greeks. On that date in 1915, hundreds of
Armenian leaders were rounded up by the Turkish authorities and
murdered in what was the start of a planned, organized attempt to
eliminate native, non-Turkish populations from the Turkish Empire.

Today, Turkey denies that it committed genocide, and even rewards
authors, teachers, politicians, and governments for saying that this
was not genocide but a civil war or an attempt to put down uprisings.

Armenians worldwide observe April 24 as a day of tragedy, but also as
a day of survival. They attend religious services, cultural programs,
and political demonstrations calling for justice.

"Armenians are also working to halt the current genocide in Darfur,
Sudan, in an effort to make certain that all peoples can be free from
the terror of genocide," says Tony Vartanian, Chair of the Armenian
Genocide Commemoration Committee of N.Y.

Each year, a resolution is introduced in U.S. Congress to mark April
24 as Armenian Genocide Memorial Day. Turkey spent more than one
million dollars to try to prevent this year’s Genocide resolution
from passing. According to U.S. congressmen Frank Pallone and Joe
Knollenberg, Turkey has even threatened to close supply pipelines
that aid U.S. soldiers in Iraq if the U.S. government does not defeat
this resolution.

Turkish officials believe that admitting the Genocide occurred would
harm their nation’s public image, and require that Turkey return lands
and properties to the victims. However, Turkey’s acknowledgment of
its past crimes against humanity might be an important step in the
direction of earning the respect of the world. It would also relieve
much pain still felt by genocide survivors, their families and their
communities.