ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 16, 2015 Thursday 04:33 PM GMT+4

West taking revenge on Azerbaijan, Turkey for their not joining
anti-Russian union – Baku

BAKU April 16.

Separate Western groups are taking revenge on Azerbaijan and Turkey
for not joining the union against Russia, Azerbaijani president’s
public-political adviser Ali Gasanov said on Thursday, commenting on
the adoption of a resolution on Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman
Empire adopted by the European Parliament

According to Gasanov, such resolutions appear as a result of “attempts
by certain circles to secure their own interests.” “These circles are
also taking revenge on Turkey and Azerbaijan for their refusal to join
the anti-Russian union that is currently being formed,” Gasanov said.

Referring to the European Parliament resolution, Gasanov said that
Baku may revise its relations with the European Union’s legislative
body. “Azerbaijan has suspended its activity in the Euronest group of
the European parliament. If this continues, we’ll have to revise all
relations with the European Parliament,” Gasanov said, adding that the
EP corresponding decision was “the most disgraceful in the European
Parliament history, not reflecting reality, distorting the real
history of World War I, an unjust and politicised decision, pursuing
certain goals.” Gasanov said he was certain that the resolution
adoption was “the consequence of the anti-Muslim and anti-Turkic
sentiments prevailing in the West.”

The European Parliament adopted on April 15 a resolution declaring
April 24 the European commemoration day for the victims of the
Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 2015 and calling on Ankara
to recognise the genocide fact.

“Armenia and Turkey should use the centenary of the Armenian genocide
to renew diplomatic relations, open the border and pave the way for
economic integration, says the European Parliament in a resolution
voted on Wednesday. MEPs stress the need for Turkey to recognise the
Armenian genocide, so as to pave way for “genuine reconciliation,” the
EP release says.

MEPs also commend the statement by Pope Francis of 12 April “honouring
the centenary of the Armenian genocide in a spirit of peace and
reconciliation”. They welcome statements by the President and Prime
Minister of Turkey offering condolences and recognising atrocities
against the Ottoman Armenians and encourage Turkey to “use the
commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian genocide as an
important opportunity” to open its archives, “come to terms with its
past”, recognise the genocide and so pave the way for a “genuine
reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples”.

They also ask Turkey to conduct “in good faith” an inventory of the
Armenian cultural heritage destroyed or ruined during the past century
within its jurisdiction. MEPs pay tribute to the memory of the
one-and-a-half million Armenian victims who “perished in the Ottoman
Empire” a hundred years ago. Finally, they propose that an
“International Remembrance Day for Genocides”, be established to
“recall again the right of all peoples and all nations throughout the
world to peace and dignity.”

Before the beginning of World War I, the Armenian population of the
Ottoman Empire was some 2.5 million people. In 1915, from 600,000 to
1.5 million Armenians died, according to various estimates, as a
result of deportation or were killed. The Turkish government
recognises the fact of Armenians’ mass mortality, however, objects to
the use of the “genocide” term and considers overestimated the number
of the victims on which the Armenian side insists. –0–ezh