Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
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Internet
PRESS RELEASE
February 13, 2009
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
PALLONE CHALLENGES TURKEY’S GENOCIDE HYPOCRISY
"If Turkey wants to move closer to the West it should
practice some self-reflection on its own history regarding
the Armenian Genocide and help to end the Genocide in
Darfur." — Rep. Frank Pallone, February 13, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC ? Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today sharply
criticized Turkey’s hypocrisy in leveling human rights charges
against Israel even as it continues to deny the Armenian Genocide
and strengthen its ties to the genocidal Sudanese regime, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
In a speech on the House floor, the Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman,
called the attention of his colleagues to increasingly strident
Turkish attacks on Israel, including menacing, even threatening,
remarks by Prime Minister Erdogan, as well as a recent Washington
Post report that a Turkey-based non-governmental organization has
initiated a probe to investigate if war crimes and genocide were
committed by Israel during the recent Gaza Conflict. Commenting on
these developments, he noted that, "For a nation that for 94 years
has practiced wide-spread genocide denial of the killing of one and
half million Armenians, hypocrisy runs deep today in Ankara."
The New Jersey legislator stressed that, "the Turkish people need
to step back and question their skewed understanding of genocide.
Look in the mirror, look at your own history, come to terms with
the fact that 1.5 million Armenians died and when contemporary
genocides, like Darfur, take place it must be denounced." He added
that Turkey, rather than denouncing the Darfur Genocide, has
actually strengthened its ties to Khartoum: "Last year, Turkish
President Abdullah Gul warmly welcomed Sudanese President Omar al-
Bashir to Ankara. Yet, Al-Bashir continues to preside over a
genocidal regime responsible for the deaths of 300,000 Sudanese
people in the Darfur region of the country."
The full text of Congressman Pallone’s statement is provided below.
To view his remarks on YouTube, visit:
leases.php?prid=1660
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CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR.
FLOOR STATEMENT – FIVE MINUTE
TURKEY’S GENOCIDE HYPOCRACY
February 13, 2009
On Saturday, February 7th, the Washington Post reported that a
Turkish Islamist-oriented human rights group, the Association of
Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples, known as Mazlum-
Der, initiated a probe to investigate if war crimes and genocide
were committed by Israel during the recent Gaza Conflict.
I was startled to read that Mazlum-Der plans to investigate 19
Israelis including Prime Minster Ehud Olmert, President Shimon
Peres, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livini, and Defense Minister Ehud
Barak for orchestrating genocide.
For a nation that for 94 years has practiced wide-spread genocide
denial of the killing of one and half million Armenians, hypocrisy
runs deep today in Ankara. Last week I expressed my concerns
regarding Turkey’s recent rash of anti-Semitism, but this probe is
going too far. Israel did not commit Genocide, but this has not
stopped Ankara’s Chief Prosecutor from launching this war crimes
probe.
The probe out of Turkey will investigate Israel’s actions in the
Gaza conflict to see if they amount to "genocide, torture, and
crimes against humanity." If the prosecutor finds evidence against
the Israeli leaders, under Turkish law, they can be detained if
they enter Turkey.
The absurdity of this probe and the fact that Turkey is issuing it
must be exposed. Israel did not commit Genocide. Israel was not
attempting to eliminate the Palestinian people. Israel was
protecting itself from the hundreds of bombs Hamas has been
shooting into its cities.
Mazlum-Der has no ground to stand on. Turkey has no ground to
stand on. Neither this NGO nor the Turkish government has ever
attempted to discuss the truth of the Armenian Genocide. Nor has
Turkey or Mazlum-Der taken action against the present genocide that
continues to rage in Darfur.
While Israelis are defending themselves against constant attacks
from Hamas, Mazlum-Der insists this is genocide. How can this
organization accuse Israel of committing genocide when it has yet
to categorize the thousands of killings in Darfur as a genocide?
The Turkish people need to step back and question their skewed
understanding of genocide. Look in the mirror, look at your own
history, come to terms with the fact that 1.5 million Armenians
died and when contemporary genocides, like Darfur, take place it
must be denounced.
But instead of denouncing it, Turkey’s relationship with Sudan is
strong. Last year, Turkish President Abdullah Gul warmly welcomed
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to Ankara. Yet, Al-Bashir
continues to preside over a genocidal regime responsible for the
deaths of 300,000 Sudanese people in the Darfur region of the
country. Today, 2.7 million Darfuris have lost their homes since
the conflict and now live in internally displaced persons camps.
While all of this happens, President Gul of Turkey has said that
the situation in Darfur adds up to a "humanitarian tragedy" caused
by economic difficulties.
This watering down of state sponsored government killing is an
affront to the thousands who have perished in Darfur. And yet a
Turkish organization is investigating genocide in Israel?
President Gul greeted the Sudanese leader with a military guard of
honor only bestowed on Turkey’s closest allies. While the
international community fiercely works to contain al-Bashir’s
government, Turkey embraces it. Both governments have a long
history of genocide denial.
The Republic of Turkey has had 94 years to recognize the Armenian
Genocide perpetrated on their soil in 1915. Like the Sudanese
government, the Turkish government’s state-sponsored ethnic
cleansing of the Armenians in the early twentieth century left one
and half million Armenians tortured, murdered, and displaced. Yet
to this day the Republic of Turkey continues to deny the slaughter
of the Armenians ? instead launching an absurd investigation into
Israel.
If Turkey and its NGOs want to take a stand against Genocide they
should not be pointing at Israel, nor should Turkish Prime Minister
Erdogan be threatening Israel with comments like, "Allah will
sooner or later punish those who transgress the rights of
innocents." If Turkey wants to move closer to the West it should
practice some self-reflection on its own history regarding the
Armenian Genocide and help to end the Genocide in Darfur.