AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Aug 25 2009
US Congress to mull Armenian `genocide` again – scholar
25-08-2009 23:24:29
A bill on the alleged World War I-era genocide of Armenians will be
put on discussion during the fall session of US Congress, after
repeated unsuccessful attempts, an Armenian scholar has said.
Ruben Safrastyan, who heads the Oriental Studies Institute at the
country`s National Academy of Sciences, claims that, a good
opportunity has emerged this time to achieve recognition of the
alleged genocide.
Armenians say Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people in 1915 and
brand the developments as “genocide“, while Turkey strenuously
dismisses the claim. Yerevan has repeatedly declined Ankara`s
proposals to collaborate in researching the developments.
Meanwhile, the US-based federation of Turkic societies said in a
statement that the Turkish community, which is maintaining close ties
with Azerbaijan and Jewish societies, has leveraged all of its power
to counter Armenian claims and stands ready to ward off any of their
endeavors.
Mustafa Adnan, head of the federation, has pledged that Armenians will
not succeed in reaching their goals in the U.S. He noted that an
appeals court has recently overruled a ruling of a California court on
paying out life insurance benefits to the relatives of the alleged
genocide victims, adding that this was a graphic example of the
Turkish Diaspora`s strength.
The judge at the California court of appeal who handed down the ruling
said the developments took place miles away from the United States,
and the state of California therefore bears no responsibility before
the persons involved. The ruling also emphasized that the US
government has not passed a decision to recognize the alleged
genocide, therefore, US Armenians are not entitled to relevant
compensation or insurance.
The Armenian lobby, which is advocating for the acceptance of
“genocide“ around the world, has achieved its recognition in the
parliaments of several countries, and is now seeking its passage in
Congress.