ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
Email: [email protected]
Website:
PRESS RELEASE
September 11, 2008
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Email: [email protected]
ANCA CALLS ON CONGRESS TO LOOK AT TURKEY’S
TRUE INTENTION AND REAL-WORLD ACTIONS
— Alerts House and Senate to Post-Soccer
Match Prosecution under Article 301
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
today called the attention of Members of Congress to statements and
actions by Turkish leaders following the September 6th "soccer-
diplomacy" match in Yerevan that directly undermine the prospects
of moving toward an enduring Armenia-Turkey peace based on truth
and justice.
Attached to each "ANCA Memo to the Hill" was a copy of the two-page
September 4th ANCA letter circulated to Members of the House and
Senate outlining the Armenian American community’s hopes, concerns,
and reservations regarding Turkey’s approach to this matter.
Among its points, the ANCA Memo spotlighted Turkey’s post-soccer
match prosecution of noted Turkish writer Temel Demirer, who had
condemned the 2007 assassination of the Armenian-Turkish editor
Hrant Dink because of his statements recognizing the Armenian
Genocide. Demirer’s lawyer called to Turkey’s promises to improve
human rights "fairy tales."
To read more about the Demirer prosecution, visit:
109616/ministry-of-justice-gives-permission-for-tr ial-of-writer-demirer-under-article-301
The full text of the ANCA memo to Congressional offices is provided
below.
#####
To: Members of Congress
Attn: Foreign Affairs Legislative Aide
From: Aram Hamparian, Executive Director
Date: September 12, 2008
RE: Looking at Turkey’s real intentions
In a troubling September 10th Associated Press article, Turkey’s
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan revealed Turkey’s expectation that
Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s acceptance of Armenian President
Serj Sarkisyan’s invitation to Armenia to watch a soccer match will
serve Turkey’s long-standing policy to deny the Armenian Genocide.
In the days since this soccer match, we have seen Turkey move in
exactly the wrong direction, showing through its own actions that,
unfortunately, its leaders view this visit as a photo opportunity
to relieve the growing international pressure it is under to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, rather than as a true opportunity
to work with the Armenian people toward an enduring peace based on
truth and justice.
Here are the facts:
1) A new crackdown on discussion of the Armenian Genocide
Turkey has not only kept in place Article 301 of its criminal code
– which criminalizes any discussion of the Armenian Genocide – but
has, this week, actually pressed forward with a new, high-profile
prosecution under this undemocratic law.
Turkey’s Justice Minister, Mehmet Ali Salin, just approved the
prosecution, under Article 301, of a noted Turkish writer Temel
Demirer for condemning the 2007 assassination of the Armenian-
Turkish editor Hrant Dink because of his statements recognizing the
Armenian Genocide.
Demirer’s lawyer stated with dismay:
"We were expecting this decision. With this decision, they have
just proven that their promises regarding . . . human rights are
all fairytales. On the one hand, they go to Armenia to watch a
game, on the other hand they are filing cases under article 301."
2) Refusal to honor new U.S. requests to lift its blockade
Despite repeated U.S. demands that Turkey lift its over 15-year-
old, illegal blockade of landlocked Armenia, most recently
articulated by Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried before the
House Foreign Affairs Committee on September 9th, Turkey has not
taken any steps to end this clear violation of international law.
3) Continued outright denial of the Armenian Genocide
As recently as September 10th, the Turkish Embassy’s website
continues to host pages describing Armenian "allegations" regarding
the "so-called" Armenian Genocide as a "myth."