Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
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PRESS RELEASE

January 29, 2009
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: mzachariades@aaainc.org
Phone: (202) 393-3434

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY WELCOMES TURKISH GOVERNMENT’S DECISION NOT TO
PROSECUTE SIGNATORIES TO ARMENIAN APOLOGY CAMPAIGN

Washington, DC – According to multiple sources, Ankara’s Public
Prosecutor will forgo pressing charges against a group of Turkish
intellectuals who, late last year, asked the public in Turkey to sign a
petition, which read, "My conscience does not accept the insensitivity
showed to and the denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman
Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and for my
share, I empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers
and sisters. I apologize to them."

When the petition first appeared, the Assembly welcomed the development,
noting that an "irreversible trend" had commenced in Turkey. "This is
another step in the right direction," stated Armenian Assembly of
America (Assembly) Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "The Assembly
continues to urge Turkey to come to terms with its genocidal legacy and
to open a new chapter in relations with Armenia," Ardouny continued. "We
continue to be concerned that there will be a backlash, not unlike the
tragedy which befell Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. There is a
long way to go yet, but this is definitely a positive step, especially
in light of the well known abuses of Article 301 of the Turkish Penal
Code to muzzle citizens for acknowledging the historical truth."

In a very short period of time, the petition garnered over 28,000
signatures and marked a real breakthrough in the progression of
encouraging developments that builds on the visit of Turkish President
Abdullah Gul to Armenia at the invitation of Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan, and the independent legal report issued by the International
Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) that concluded that the events of
1915 constituted genocide under the criteria set forth by the United
Nations Genocide Convention.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

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