Armenian
National Committee of Canada

Comité
National Arménien du Canada

Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622

E-mail/Courriel:national.office@anccanada.org

-PRESS RELEASE-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                                    Contact: Sevag Belian (613) 235-2622

ANCC Welcomes Parliamentary Hearings on Turkey’s Deteriorating
Human Rights Situation

Ottawa – The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC)
welcomes the recent decision taken by the International Human Rights
Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International
Development to discuss the current human rights situation in the Republic of
Turkey.

In August 2017, the ANCC, along with
the Democratic Kurdish Federation of Canada (DKFC) submitted a joint report to
the subcommittee, requesting a comprehensive study on the alarming human rights
situation and the deteriorating state of the rule of law in Turkey today.

“The ANCC and DKFC played an instrumental role in
making the proper representations, both to the subcommittee and the wider
foreign policy community, to ensure that Ottawa takes the proper steps in
addressing the current alarming situation in Turkey and initiate a substantive
study that will hopefully generate a better understanding of the current state
of affairs in that country” said Shahen Mirakian, president of the ANCC.   

Since reclaiming power after the
failed coup attempt of July 2016, and especially after the highly controversial
constitutional referendum that granted the president unprecedented powers, Erdoğan
and his regime have been merciless in silencing their opposition and
suppressing the people’s fundamental rights of freedom of speech, assembly and
association. Erdoğan’s purges have particularly targeted the academic and
judicial ranks of the country, while attempting to systematically oppress the
rights of various minority groups in the country. Since July 2016, tens of
thousands of people, including journalists, lawyers, judges, military officers
and activists have been arrested including 12 members of parliament from the
pro-Kurdish leftist Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and 80 Kurdish co-mayors.

“The subcommittee’s timely decision to raise this
matter brings further evidence to the deteriorating situation in Turkey and the
west’s growing reservations towards the repressive regime of President Erdoğan. 
Though we welcome this step by the subcommittee, we remain vigilant in making
sure that the appropriate representations are made to our legislators during
these hearings and a clear understanding is formulated regarding the current
state of affairs in Turkey” added Mirakian.

Thus far the subcommittee has dedicated three
specific sessions for this particular subject.  The first hearing took
place on Tuesday, April 17th, the second hearing is set for Thursday, April 19^th,
in Ottawa and the date of the third hearing has not yet been set.

“The ANCC will continue to follow closely as the
hearings continue and will be willing to provide more assistance to the
subcommittee to raise more awareness about this increasingly alarming
international human rights situation” concluded Mirakian.

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The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Armenian-Canadian
grassroots human rights organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-Canadian
community on a broad range of issues and works to eliminate abuses of human
rights throughout Canada and the world.