18 COUNTRIES ACCEPTED ‘GENOCIDE’ IN 41 YEARS
By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara
Zaman Online, Turkey
Oct 12 2006
Parliaments of foreign countries began to recognize the so-called
Armenian genocide 41 years ago.
To date, 18 parliaments have recognized the events of 1915 as genocide
since 1965. The number of parliaments taking a stance on this issue
increased dramatically after 2000. According to the evaluations made in
Ankara there are five factors effective in the political decisions of
these parliaments. These are pressure from Armenian minorities in these
countries, hostility against Turkey, Turcophobia or reluctance over
Turkey’s admittance into the European Union, looking for an accomplice
for the genocides they had committed in the past and religious reasons.
The Armenian Diaspora began to carry the events of 1915 on the agenda
of countries in which they live beginning in 1960. The first decision
was taken in 1965 in Uruguay. Following this decision, Southern Cyprus
made a similar decision in 1982, and the number of decisions overall
increased dramatically after 2000. The decisions reached their peak
in 2005, the 90th anniversary of 1915 events.
Armenian Pressure and Turcophobia
The authorities asserted that the decisions made in Uruguay, Russia,
Canada, Lebanon, France, Switzerland, Italy and Venezuela were taken
due to pressure of the Armenian minority population in these countries.
The decisions made in Greece and Southern Cyprus were due to hostility
against Turkey, while it is believed that reluctance over Turkey’s
accession to the European Union lies under the decisions made in Italy
and France. The decisions made in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany,
Switzerland and Poland have similar reasons, religious reasons behind
the Vatican’s decision. The attitudes of Germany, Latvia and Slovakia
are accepted as a struggle to find accomplices for their own crimes
against humanity.
Final Aim: Demanding Land from Turkey The Armenian Diaspora, which
has been the most influential force behind these countries accepting
these decisions, has made demands for Turkey.
* Advertising the "genocide"
* Recognizing the so-called genocide,
* Paying amends to the inheritors of the victims of the "genocide,"
* Giving part of eastern Turkey’s territory to Armenia.
The first decision to recognize the events of 1915 was made in Uruguay
The countries that support the so-called Armenian genocide thesis
are as follows:
Greek Cypriot Administration: April 29, 1982
Greece: April 25, 1996
Belgium: March 26, 1998
Sweden: March 29, 2000
Vatican: 2000
Lebanon: May 11, 2000
France: Jan.18, 2001
Switzerland: Dec. 16, 2003
Canada: 1996, 2000, and April 21, 2004
Slovakia: Nov. 30, 2004
The Netherlands: Dec. 21, 2004
Poland: April 19, 2005
Argentina: 1993, 2003, 3004, 2005
Russia: April 22, 2005
Uruguay: 1965, 2004, May 3, 2005
Venezuela: July 14, 2005
Latvia: Dec. 15, 2005