Armenia Solidarity, Nor Serount, and Firodil Institute
c/o The Temple of Peace,Cardiff
[email protected]
Tel(from UK) 07718982732
"Will the EU inherit Turkey’s guilt for its past crimes and have to
assume liability for reparations for the Genocide of Armenians and
Assyrians?"
This is the question that was raised in the House of Commons, London
yesterday in a meeting to launch a new Early Day Motion on the Genocide
of the Armenians and Assyrians. The sponsor was Andrew George MP.The
special Honoured Guest was Bishop Gueorges of the Ancient Church of the
East. This latest EDM follows the success of last year’s motion , which
185 MPs signed.
Mr George Jerjian, author of "The truth will set us free", (the book,
whose translation into Turkish, led to the present prosecution of Ragip
Zarokulu) was the main speaker.
Nineb Lamassu, from the Firodil Institute gave the Assyrian perspective
on this campaign for Genocide Recognition. This was the first time that
Armenian and Assyrian groups have co-operated to hold a lobbying meeting
at the House of Commons.
Parliamentarians were urged to to explore the above question by the
establishment of a Commission.
Armenians, Assyrians and their friends were urged to contact their MPs
requesting that they sign EDM 119(below)
"That this House believes that the killing of over a million Armenians
and over half a million Assyrians between 1915 and 1923 was an act of
genocide; further believes that it is in the long-term interests of
those countries involved to acknowledge this; and calls upon the
Government to join others in formally recognising these events as
constituting genocide."
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George Jerjian’s Speech to the House of Commons
Committee Room 17 – On 12 December 2007
In the coal-mining industry, the danger was always that miners would die
as a result of methane gas being released in underground mines. For a
long time, the only early warning system available, even if low
technology, were yellow canaries. On the slightest whiff of methane gas,
yellow canaries would start to wobble on their perch, giving sufficient
time for the miners to evacuate the mine.
The Armenian genocide is the early warning system that will ensure that
the EU does not asphyxiate from the toxic fumes of extreme Turkish
nationalism.
So what is the significance of the Armenian (and Assyrian) genocide to
the European Union and United Kingdom?
1. Turkey needs to be held up to the same legal and human rights
standards as other EU countries, if it is to be admitted. Failure to do
so will in a very short period of time corrupt our own laws. As Ragip
Zarakolu, my Turkish publisher, has pointed out; why are the stringent
rules applied to Eastern European countries who have joined the EU,
lowered substantially in the case of Turkey? Why is Turkey not held to
the high standards of civil liberties that EU countries must attain? Why
is she allowed to abuse the human rights of its people? Why is there a
double standard in the EU? He has a worthy point.
2. The Armenian Genocide is not open to debate as to its veracity.
If Turkey can pressure the EU to drop this issue, what message is the EU
sending to the Turks in future negotiations? In 1997, over 125 scholars
and historians at the International Association of Genocide Scholars
(IAGS), including Prof. Israel Charney and Elie Wiesel, released a
unanimous statement that what happened to the Armenians was in fact
Genocide. The Turks can only muster about five mediocre historians, one
of whom is discredited as he was caught writing a letter on behalf of
the Turkish ambassador to the US. The only eminent historian on the
Turkish side, who states openly that what happened to the Armenians was
not genocide, is Prof. Bernard Lewis of Princeton University. Yet, in
1961, he wrote a book called The Emergence of Modern Turkey, in which he
stated in no uncertain terms that 1.5 million Armenians perished in a
"Holocaust". Against all the empirical evidence that points to genocide,
the reasons offered by Prof. Lewis, for his changed position, are banal,
partisan, and light-weight.
3. The recognition of the Armenian Genocide will level the playing
field of the EU-Turkey negotiations. For example, it will compel the
Turks to completely revamp their oppressive penal code. The Turkish
Penal Code runs contrary to all European concepts of civil liberties and
human rights. Article 301 which covers insulting Turkishness was used to
bring famous Turkish author Orhan Pamuk to trial, resulting in his
fleeing to New York. Article 301 caused a Turkish nationalist to
assassinate Turkish-Armenian publisher Hrant Dink in January 2007. Now,
my Turkish publisher is facing trial on 31st January 2008, having made
half a dozen court appearances, which act as an insidious mechanism to
deter other writers and publishers from meddling with this highly
sensitive issue. As I write some 60 writers, editors and publishers face
jail in Turkey. Turkish President Gül said that he wants this article
301 removed, but Turkish officials have hinted that they want to see
some of the EU chapters re-opened, in exchange. While Turkey plays
cat-and-mouse with the EU, a journalist based in Turkey told me in
confidence that when Article 301 is removed, there are dozens of
articles in the penal code that can be used to silence people. Turkey
has been changing its laws since the 1839 Tanzimat, to no avail; nothing
ever filters down. The Turkish penal code has now been translated into
English with the help of a British barrister; this clearly sends a
message to the EU that Turkey will only negotiate these issues on a
piece-meal basis. This is detrimental and dangerous to EU citizens and
Turkish citizens alike.
Lastly, Turkey denies the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide. Denying the
Armenian Genocide and blaming the victims is the last component of the
act of genocide. By denying it, the Republic of Turkey has in effect
continued the genocide started by the Ottoman Empire to completion. This
being the case, if Turkey were allowed to join the EU, without admitting
to the Armenian Genocide, there is a strong legal argument that the EU
will have assumed the obligations and reparations of Ottoman Empire and
the Turkish Republic and therefore open to class action lawsuits by the
descendants of the Armenian victims? Perhaps the cost-benefit analysis
of the Turkish EU accession needs to be re-calculated or re-negotiated.
The yellow canary of the Armenian Genocide has wobbled on its perch. The
early warning system has been activated. The EU and the UK governments
ignore this alert at their peril.