Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA LAUNCHES RESPONSE TO ERDOGAN’S WAVE OF GENOCIDE DENIAL
— Seven-Part Action Alert Featured on ANCA Website
WASHINGTON, DC – Activists from across the United States,
throughout Europe, and around the world are streaming to the
Armenian National Committee of America’s (ANCA) website to take
part in a seven-part on-line response to Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recently unleashed international wave of
genocide denial.
In recent weeks, Erdogan has dramatically raised the stakes in his
government’s campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide, orchestrating
the purchase of major media advertisements, applying intense
pressure on foreign governments, and severely cracking down on
dissidents within Turkey who seek to speak openly about this crime
against humanity. Elements of this wave of denial include:
* Blocking the first-ever Armenian Genocide conference in Turkey,
which was to have taken place in Istanbul this June.
* Spending over $1,000,000 to have Time Magazine include DVDs
denying the Armenian Genocide in all of its editions throughout
Europe, and placing a major genocide denial ad in the Washington
Post.
* Pressing the U.S. government to withdraw the American Foreign
Service Association’s “Constructive Dissent” award to U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia John Evans for speaking the truth about the
Genocide.
* Pressuring President Bush, during their June 8th White House
meeting, to oppose the Armenian Genocide Resolution before
Congress. This legislation (H.Res.316) was introduced on June 14th
by Congressmen George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and
Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), and Frank
Pallone (D-NJ).
* Twisting arms at the State Department to continue to exclude any
mention of the Armenian Genocide in the Department’s official
website’s section on Armenian history.
* Imposing an effective “gag-rule,” silencing any U.S. protests
over Turkey’s new Penal Code provision (Section 305) outlawing even
the discussion of the Genocide.
“The powerful response to our action alert reflects the seriousness
with which Armenians worldwide are responding to Erdogan’s
escalation of his attacks on the truth, on the memories of genocide
victims, and on the very security of Armenia,” said Aram Hamparian,
Executive Director of the ANCA.
“But he will fail – despite all the millions of dollars and vast
political capital he will expend. He’ll fail – because of the
powerful grassroots response he will face from Armenian Americans;
because of the moral indignation of the American people as they
learn more about how his government’s values stand in stark
contrast to those held by the vast majority of Americans; because
he is finding himself increasingly isolated internationally as he
loses his partners in denial, and – perhaps most importantly –
because his years of hateful lies and deception will collapse under
their own weight,” added Hamparian.
The ANCA website – – features a seven-part array of
action alerts on issues ranging from the Armenian Genocide
Resolution to the Time Magazine (European Edition) DVD
advertisement denying the Armenian Genocide. These web-based
components complement the work of the ANCA’s Washington, DC staff,
regional offices in Los Angeles and New York City, and its network
of more than fifty chapters and tens of thousands of volunteer
activists.
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