The European Parliament will decide whether to name the year 2015 as the centennial of the Armenian genocide perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire.
The draft joint motion stated an increasing number of EU member states and national parliaments recognize the Armenian genocide, outlining the main motivations of its unification movement is to prevent the recurrence of wars and crimes against humanity in Europe.
If passed, the Parliament would “pay tribute, on the eve of the Centenary, to the memory of the one-and-a-half million innocent Armenian victims who perished in the Ottoman Empire,” linking the centenary commemoration of the genocide to the spirit of European brotherhood, solidarity and justice.
The parliamentarians will also decide whether to pay tribute to “the memory of innocent victims of all genocides and crimes committed against humanity through the establishment of a European International Remembrance Day for all genocides.”
They will also discuss whether to accept the statements of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu offering condolences and recognizing the atrocities as a step in a right direction. The statement said the importance of the ceremony in Armenia as an “important opportunity for Turkey to continue its efforts, including the opening of the archives, to come to terms with its past, to recognize the Armenian genocide and thus pave the way for a genuine reconciliation between Turkish and Armenian peoples.”
The Parliament is likely to invite Turkey to “respect and fully realize the legal obligations it has undertaken for the protection of cultural heritage,” by conducting “an integrated inventory of Armenian and other cultural heritage sites destroyed or ruined during the past century.”
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, considers the killings “atrocity crimes,” but he does not support Pope Francis’ description of the killings as “the first genocide of the 20th century.”...[hurriyetdailynews.com]
14/4/15
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Related:
1915 killings of Armenians "atrocity crimes" (Ban Ki-moon)
Turkey slams pope’s comments on Armenian genocide. (recalled its ambassador to the Vatican "for consultations")
Turkey slams European Parliament’s call to recognize ‘Armenian genocide’
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EU urges Turkey, Armenia to normalize relations...
ReplyDeleteThe European Union has urged Turkey and Armenia to normalize their relations following a spat prompted by remarks made by Pope Francis over the events of 1915.
EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday: "It is very important in our view for relations to be normalized as soon as possible between Turkey and Armenia."
"The (European) Commission encourages both sides to take extra measures to open the way towards a complete reconciliation," Kocijancic said.....www.aa.com.tr
14/4/15
Call for 'balance' as EU MEPs set to vote on 1915 events...
ReplyDeleteMEPs and the co-chairs of the Friends of Turkey Group have called for the adoption of a "balanced resolution" as the European Parliament prepares to vote on a draft resolution urging all EU member states to recognize the events in Armenia in 1915.
The vote is being held on Wednesday, a day after the European Union urged Turkey and Armenia to normalize their relations following a spat prompted by remarks made by Pope Francis over the 1915 events.
The co-chairs of the group in the European Parliament, which consists of MEPs from the Socialists & Democrats, the Greens and the Christian Democrats, said in a statement on Tuesday: "We would like to call upon the members of this chamber to adopt a balanced resolution."
They said the pressure to recognize what has been termed the "Armenian Genocide" will hinder attempts to reach reconciliation between Armenians and Turks through dialogue.........aa.com.tr
15/4/15
Erdogan says will disregard European vote on Armenian killings...
ReplyDeletePresident Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would disregard the European Parliament's vote later on Wednesday on the 1915 mass killings of Armenians, which the pope this week described as genocide.
The European Parliament is due to debate a resolution to mark the 100th anniversary of the killing of as many as 1.5 million Armenians under Turkish Ottoman rule.
"Whatever decision the European Parliament takes on Armenian genocide claims, it would go in one ear and out the other," Erdogan told a news conference at Ankara airport before departing on an official visit to Kazakhstan.
"It is out of the question for there to a stain, a shadow called 'genocide' on Turkey," he said............Reuters......channelnewsasia.com
15/4/15
La Turquie rejette par avance le vote du Parlement européen sur le génocide arménien...
DeleteLe président islamo-conservateur turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a déclaré mercredi qu'il rejetait par avance le vote du Parlement européen, qui doit se prononcer sur la qualification en "génocide" des massacres d'Arméniens en 1915.
"Quelle qu'en soit l'issue, le vote du Parlement de l'Union européenne m'entrera dans une oreille et ressortira aussitôt par l'autre parce que la Turquie ne peut reconnaître un tel péché ou un tel crime", a déclaré M. Erdogan devant la presse avant de s'envoler pour une visite officielle au Kazakhstan voisin.
Le Parlement européen doit se prononcer mercredi sur une résolution concernant "la commémoration du centenaire du génocide arménien", le 24 avril prochain.
Ce vote intervient trois jours après les propos du pape François, qui a provoqué la fureur des autorités turques en évoquant le "génocide" de centaines de milliers d'Arméniens perpétré par l'Empire ottoman pendant la Première guerre mondiale.
Mardi, M. Erdogan s'est dit "consterné" par les déclarations du souverain pontife, évoquant des "délires" et plaidé pour laisser la question aux seuls historiens.......rtbf.be
15/4/15