TOGETHER WITH THE CYPRIAN AND KURDISH ISSUES THE ISSUE OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED ON THE LIST OF THE PRECONDITIONS PROPOSED BY THE EU TO TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
Analytical Department
15.12.2007 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On December 14 the Europe Armenian Federation for
justice and Democracy (EAFJD) organized demonstrations in Brussels,
calling the EU to include the issue of the Armenian Genocide on
the list of the preconditions proposed by the EU to Turkey for its
integration into the European Union. The Armenians of Europe said
"No" to Turkey denying the Armenian Genocide, and announced that
it is necessary to keep the Copenhagen criteria, which include the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide on the list of the preconditions
proposed to Turkey in order to be integrated into the EU. "We are not
against Turkey’s membership; we are against the Turkey, which isn’t
willing to leave and recognize Cyprus, the Armenian Genocide and the
rights of the Kurdish people. While the European Union announced
about the necessity of Turkey’s respect for human rights and the
recognition of Cyprus, the issue of the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide has never been a precondition for Turkey’s integration,"
said the Europe Central Committee Representative Murad Papazyan.
The European Armenian Federation thinks that the change in the basic
approaches of the negotiations with Turkey is a rather positive
step. This gives chances for political debates over the question
whether or not Turkey’s integration into Europe is a natural progress
for the European Union itself. "Even today, when the Europeans cannot
define whether the relations with Turkey will develop within the
context of "privileged partnership", we know that Turkey will try
to benefit from the EU as much as possible, and will try to take
advantage of all the possible factors to develop its economic and
military power," announced the Head of the (EAFJD) Hilda Choboyan.
No matter how hard Ankara tries to accuse the Armenian lobby of
"upsetting the national interests of the USA and Europe", more and more
countries come to realize that Turkey must be morally responsible for
the crimes committed in the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923, since the
very Turkey of Ataturk is its assignee. It should be accepted that
the Armenian Organizations of Europe in their demand to recognize
the Armenian Genocide have achieved more noticeable success, than
the American Community. There are several reasons for that and among
them there are some which are of political and national character,
as well as one, which is of geographical character. The USA, because
of the distance, cannot feel the threat, hung over Europe in the form
of the Turkish factor. The annual growth of the Turkish population
in Europe comes to 1.6%.
According to some assessments the number of the Turkish migrants
reaches up to 40 million, which makes the 12% of the entire
population. This number is rather impressive, if we take into
consideration the tendencies of its growth. Moreover, ethnic Turks
possess sits in the parliaments of a number of European countries,
such as the Netherlands and Belgium. There are a lot of public
organizations lobbying Turkish interests and which are financed by
Ankara. But like in Europe, in America the Armenians are not alone
in their fight for justice. Simply the USA doesn’t want to spoil its
relationship with Ankara yet…
The Americans of Greek origins support the Armenian fight for the
Genocide recognition. As the Greek NEO Magazine writes, the wall of
the Genocide denial is about to fall down. One of the key factors of
the success of the Armenian and Greek lobby is that they could finally
pull down the wall of denial of the Armenian Genocide and this issue is
not being discussed any more. "In spite of the continuing campaign for
rewriting the Turkish history, the bribery of the politicians and the
threats to the national interests of the nation, who dared to recognize
the history, the issue of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 is again
in the center of attention," it said. It is emphasized in the article
that the Armenians are not alone in their fight for justice. The
Americans of Greek origins have been cooperating with the Armenians
for a rather long time for the official recognition of the truth. "The
Greeks have also suffered genocide. In 1914-1923 in the Ottoman Empire,
the Asia Minor and Pontus more than one million people were killed, the
Greek city Smyrna was burned down and its entire population was killed.
The genocide of the Pontus Greeks destroyed an old community. The
Greeks were resettled from the entire Asia Minor, while they had lived
there for 3 thousand years. In 1997 the U.S. Congress drafted a bill
about the memorial day of the Greek genocide. Meeting Turkey’s the
bill remained in the Committee only," says the NEO Magazine.