AGBU EUROPE WELCOMES RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY THE PARLIAMENT OF SWEDEN
Azg
March 16 2010
Armenia
AGBU Europe congratulates the Parliament of Sweden for
acknowledging the genocides committed against the Armenians,
Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs and Pontic Greeks during the First
World War.
The Parliament of Sweden adopted the resolution by a vote of 131 to
130 on Thursday 11 March. In response, Turkey withdrew its Ambassador
and cancelled Prime Minister Erdogan’s scheduled visit.
"Sweden often strives to reconcile effectiveness and ethics in
its relations with the world. We applaud it for its principled and
constructive stance on the Genocide. The truth will set us all free."
said Nicolas Tavitian, of AGBU Europe.
This vote comes on the heels of another vote, last Thursday (March 4),
in the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, which also acknowledged
the Armenian Genocide. The resolution passed in spite of heavy pressure
from Turkey; the Turkish government recalled their ambassador to the
United States.
Opponents to the resolution in the US most often justified their
stance on the basis of Turkey’s strategic importance to the United
States. They also argue that Turkey may now refuse to open its border
with Armenia.
AGBU Europe believes it is a mistake on the part of European countries
or of the U.S. to yield to the demands of a fellow NATO member,
EU candidate country and self-declared friend to conceal the truth.
Turkish society is in the process of discovering the truth about their
country’s past. We are doing them no favour if we oblige in their
historic taboos precisely when their own society is challenging them.
Turkey signed two protocols with Armenia on October 10, 2009 that were
intended to lead to the normalization of relations between the two
countries after a 17-year blockade (1993-2010) of Armenia by Turkey.
The country then reneged on its commitment and subjected ratification
of the agreement to further conditions. The process is widely
considered blocked in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The
recognition of the Genocide in Sweden and the United States is a
useful signal to Turkey that it needs to radically rethink its policy
towards the Republic of Armenia and towards Armenians generally and
to urgently complete the normalization process.