EXPERTS TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Czech News Agency
April 2, 2006 Sunday
Prague, April 2 (CTK) – Facts about the extermination of Armenian
inhabitants of Turkey during World War One and its circumstances
and consequences will be discussed at an international conference
that will be held in the Czech Senate next week. The event will be
organised by the Armenia Club civic association and senator Jaromir
Stetina (for the Greens) under the aegis of former president Vaclav
Havel. The conference will be held 91 years after then Ottoman
government arrested more than 2300 prominent Armenians. Armenians
consider April 1915 the beginning of genocide that claimed the lives
of 1.5 million people. Turkey refuses to speak about genocide, and it
links the events with the struggle against Armenians collaborating
with the invading Russian forces. It claims that the accusation is
to slow down its admission to the European Union. According to the
programme the conference in the Senate is to be also attended by
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.