GREEK MINISTERS PUSH FOR RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CLAIMS
The New Anatolian
April 18 2006
Greek state ministers yesterday increased pressure on Turkey and on
the international community to recognize Armenian genocide claims
before next week’s annual commemoration of the claims.
While Greek Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopulos expressed hope
that the Armenians would soon receive the respect they “deserve”
from the international community, Deputy Foreign Minister Teodoros
Kasimis urged Ankara to recognize the genocide claims.
“The genocide conducted against the Armenian nation will never be
erased from the minds of Greeks,” said Minister Pavlopulos in his
letter sent to the Armenian National Commission ahead of April 24,
the date that Armenians commemorate genocide claims.
“Ninety-one years have passed since the genocide. The Greek
Parliament’s recognition of the commemoration day aims to honor and
commemorate the innocent victims of the genocide. The decision also
represents our responsibility in preventing the repetition of such
events in the future,” Pavlopulos said.
During his speech at a meeting organized by Armenians in Athens,
Minister Kasimis expressed Greek support to the Armenian genocide
claims, saying, “Turkey should accept its past mistakes to draw
lessons from them in order to avoid any repetition of events.”