EU PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Arutz Sheva, Israel
April 16 2015
Following Pope Francis’s lead, EU lawmakers vote overwhelmingly to
recognize genocide in move likely to trigger Turkish anger.
By Ari Soffer
The European Union parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favor of
recognizing the mass-murder of Armenians by Ottomoan Turkey in 1915
as a genocide.
The decision to recognize the genocide – which saw more than 1.5
million Christian Armenians perish at the hands of Muslim Turkish
forces – is sure to enrage Turkey’s Islamist leadership, coming just
days after the Pope similarly recognized it, comparing the Armenian
Genocide to other atrocities including the Holocaust.
EU parliamentarians backed the motion, which stated that the “tragic
events that took place in 1915-1917 against the Armenians in the
territory of the Ottoman Empire represent a genocide,” according
to Reuters.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian hailed the resolution, and
said it sent an important message to Turkey – despite Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to ignore the vote even before it was held.
“The Resolution contains an important message to Turkey to use the
commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide to come to
terms with its past, to recognize the Armenian Genocide and thus pave
the way for a genuine reconciliation between Turkish and Armenian
peoples,” Nalbandian said in a statement.
Turkey denies the massacres amounted to a genocide, although it admits
some killings of Armenians by Turkish forces did happen.
While Armenia and several western states do recognize the genocide,
most countries have yet to do so, mainly due to political pressure
from Turkey.
The EU Parliament also praised Pope Francis for his comments on Sunday.
Speaking at an Armenian event at the Vatican, Francis told worshippers:
“In the past century, our human family has lived through three massive
and unprecedented tragedies.
“The first, which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the
20th century’, struck your own Armenian people,” he said, going on
to name the other two tragedies as the Holocaust and Stalinism.
The Pope also condemned those who attempted to deny such crimes had
taken place.
The European Union parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favor of
recognizing the mass-murder of Armenians by Ottomoan Turkey in 1915
as a genocide.
The decision to recognize the genocide – which saw more than 1.5
million Christian Armenians perish at the hands of Muslim Turkish
forces – is sure to enrage Turkey’s Islamist leadership, coming just
days after the Pope similarly recognized it, comparing the Armenian
Genocide to other atrocities including the Holocaust.
EU parliamentarians backed the motion, which stated that the “tragic
events that took place in 1915-1917 against the Armenians in the
territory of the Ottoman Empire represent a genocide,” according
to Reuters.
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian hailed the resolution, and
said it sent an important message to Turkey – despite Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to ignore the vote even before it was held.
“The Resolution contains an important message to Turkey to use the
commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide to come to
terms with its past, to recognize the Armenian Genocide and thus pave
the way for a genuine reconciliation between Turkish and Armenian
peoples,” Nalbandian said in a statement.
Turkey denies the massacres amounted to a genocide, although it admits
some killings of Armenians by Turkish forces did happen.
While Armenia and several western states do recognize the genocide,
most countries have yet to do so, mainly due to political pressure
from Turkey.
The EU Parliament also praised Pope Francis for his comments on Sunday.
Speaking at an Armenian event at the Vatican, Francis told worshippers:
“In the past century, our human family has lived through three massive
and unprecedented tragedies.
“The first, which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the
20th century’, struck your own Armenian people,” he said, going on
to name the other two tragedies as the Holocaust and Stalinism.
The Pope also condemned those who attempted to deny such crimes had
taken place.”
From: Baghdasarian