Armenian Genocide Update
SWEDISH PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE THE 1915 GENOCIDE
armradio.am
12.06.2008 14:44
On June 12, 2008, the Swedish Parliament, with the votes 245 to
37 (1 abstain, 66 absent), rejected a call for recognition of the
1915 genocide in the Ottoman Empire. On June 11, a long debate took
place in the Swedish Parliament in regard to the Foreign Committee
report on Human Rights, including five motions calling upon the
Swedish Government and Parliament to officially recognize the
1915 genocide. In its answer, a majority consisting of the ruling
alliance parties together with the Social Democrats (opposition party)
proposed rejecting the motions, whereby the Green (Miljöpartiet)
and the Left (Vänsterpartiet) parties announced their reservations,
forcing the Parliament to have a debate in the main chamber before
the proposal was voted on, Vahagn Avedian, Chairman of the Union of
Armenian Associations in Sweden informed.
On an initiative of Vahagn Avedian, petition published in 10 languages,
whose Turkish, is addressed to the members of the Swedish Parliament
on June 9 in order to influence on a decision of the Foreign Affairs
Commission suggesting at the Parliament and the government to disallow
the proposals for recognition of Armenian Genocide of 1915
Mats Pertoft (Green), one of the co-authors of the motions, pointed
out that the 1915 genocide was no different from the climate issue. For
couple of years ago, there was a disagreement among researchers about
the global warming, but now, even though there are some who still
disagree, there is a consensus on the issue among an overwhelming
majority of the researchers. The same applies to the 1915 genocide.
Two politicians defied their parties. Yilmaz Kerimo (Social Democrat),
an ethnic Assyrian was one. The other, Lennart Sacrédeus (Christian
Democrat), going against his party line, took the podium defending a
recognition of the 1915 genocide and ended his statement by adding:
"I know that we will stay here again in one year debating the very same
question. Turkey will be hit by bad will for every debate in every
parliament where this question is deeply associated with Turkey. I
think that we acknowledge and can understand the background for why
the issue is locked in Turkey; but the truth will set you free and
it applies to Turkey and the legacy after Ataturk." The truth will
set you free, but Swedish politicians today displayed that they are
neither ready to acknowledge the truth nor willing to set Turkey free
from its dark burdensome past.
The debate lasted over three hours, during which the present audience
agreed upon one certainty: no one of those recommending the rejection
of a recognition could explain, less defend their case. It was soon
obvious that there simply were no sustainable arguments to be given
to explain why Sweden can not recognize the 1915 genocide. The "no"
was purely a political decision for maintaining good relations with
Turkey, nothing else. But could such a decision actually benefit
Turkey? Or Sweden? Or EU? According to Vahagn Avedian, similar
decisions and signals are nothing but doing Turkey, and not least
oneself, a disservice. "What kind of message do we send to a Turkey
in urgent need of reformation and democratization when we tell them
that it is actually acceptable to cover up crimes and deny facts
and the truth? What kind of a democracy does Sweden and EU nourish
in Turkey? Notwithstanding, I can not imagine a single Armenian who
would not welcome, by European measures, a reformed and democratized
Turkey as their neighbor. The same would apply to Assyrians, Greeks,
Kurds etc. But, the kind of signals which the Swedish Parliament today
sent surely cause more damage to the Turkish process of becoming a
more open society than the opposite."
armradio.am
12.06.2008 14:44
On June 12, 2008, the Swedish Parliament, with the votes 245 to
37 (1 abstain, 66 absent), rejected a call for recognition of the
1915 genocide in the Ottoman Empire. On June 11, a long debate took
place in the Swedish Parliament in regard to the Foreign Committee
report on Human Rights, including five motions calling upon the
Swedish Government and Parliament to officially recognize the
1915 genocide. In its answer, a majority consisting of the ruling
alliance parties together with the Social Democrats (opposition party)
proposed rejecting the motions, whereby the Green (Miljöpartiet)
and the Left (Vänsterpartiet) parties announced their reservations,
forcing the Parliament to have a debate in the main chamber before
the proposal was voted on, Vahagn Avedian, Chairman of the Union of
Armenian Associations in Sweden informed.
On an initiative of Vahagn Avedian, petition published in 10 languages,
whose Turkish, is addressed to the members of the Swedish Parliament
on June 9 in order to influence on a decision of the Foreign Affairs
Commission suggesting at the Parliament and the government to disallow
the proposals for recognition of Armenian Genocide of 1915
Mats Pertoft (Green), one of the co-authors of the motions, pointed
out that the 1915 genocide was no different from the climate issue. For
couple of years ago, there was a disagreement among researchers about
the global warming, but now, even though there are some who still
disagree, there is a consensus on the issue among an overwhelming
majority of the researchers. The same applies to the 1915 genocide.
Two politicians defied their parties. Yilmaz Kerimo (Social Democrat),
an ethnic Assyrian was one. The other, Lennart Sacrédeus (Christian
Democrat), going against his party line, took the podium defending a
recognition of the 1915 genocide and ended his statement by adding:
"I know that we will stay here again in one year debating the very same
question. Turkey will be hit by bad will for every debate in every
parliament where this question is deeply associated with Turkey. I
think that we acknowledge and can understand the background for why
the issue is locked in Turkey; but the truth will set you free and
it applies to Turkey and the legacy after Ataturk." The truth will
set you free, but Swedish politicians today displayed that they are
neither ready to acknowledge the truth nor willing to set Turkey free
from its dark burdensome past.
The debate lasted over three hours, during which the present audience
agreed upon one certainty: no one of those recommending the rejection
of a recognition could explain, less defend their case. It was soon
obvious that there simply were no sustainable arguments to be given
to explain why Sweden can not recognize the 1915 genocide. The "no"
was purely a political decision for maintaining good relations with
Turkey, nothing else. But could such a decision actually benefit
Turkey? Or Sweden? Or EU? According to Vahagn Avedian, similar
decisions and signals are nothing but doing Turkey, and not least
oneself, a disservice. "What kind of message do we send to a Turkey
in urgent need of reformation and democratization when we tell them
that it is actually acceptable to cover up crimes and deny facts
and the truth? What kind of a democracy does Sweden and EU nourish
in Turkey? Notwithstanding, I can not imagine a single Armenian who
would not welcome, by European measures, a reformed and democratized
Turkey as their neighbor. The same would apply to Assyrians, Greeks,
Kurds etc. But, the kind of signals which the Swedish Parliament today
sent surely cause more damage to the Turkish process of becoming a
more open society than the opposite."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
60 WORLD LEADING EXPERTS ON HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE
STUDIES SIGN A PETITION FOR THE SWEDISH PARLIAMENT
armradio.am
10.06.2008 10:46
On an initiative of Vahagn Avedian, Chairman of the Board of Union
of Armenian Associations in Sweden, a petition published in 10
languages, whose Turkish, is addressed yesterday to the members of
the Swedish Parliament in order to influence on a decision of the
Foreign Affairs's Commission suggesting at the Parliament and the
government to disallow the proposals for a recognition of Armenian
Genocide of 1915, independent correspondent Jean Eckian informed.
An extract of this text indicates: "Today, Sweden is internationally
regarded as a champion of human rights. It is incumbent on the Swedish
authorities to live up to this reputation and to reject any compromise
with negationism and denial. The Swedish Government should attempt to
assist Turkey to become a better democracy by facing its history and
acknowledging the truth, not by continuing to stagger in the darkness
of self-deception and pretense. Today, the data and information
about the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Pontic Greeks are so
extensive that no serious politician can honestly cite insufficient
or inconclusive research as an excuse to avoid recognition. Refusal
to recognize established fact based on qualitative and quantitative
research may be regarded as being tantamount to denial."
"The signatories of this letter do not consider there is any doubt that
the massacres of Christians and other minorities in the Ottoman Empire
during the World War I constituted genocide. Even though research
must and will continue, the existing information is compelling and
must be acknowledged as such," the petition concluded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
armradio.am
10.06.2008 10:46
On an initiative of Vahagn Avedian, Chairman of the Board of Union
of Armenian Associations in Sweden, a petition published in 10
languages, whose Turkish, is addressed yesterday to the members of
the Swedish Parliament in order to influence on a decision of the
Foreign Affairs's Commission suggesting at the Parliament and the
government to disallow the proposals for a recognition of Armenian
Genocide of 1915, independent correspondent Jean Eckian informed.
An extract of this text indicates: "Today, Sweden is internationally
regarded as a champion of human rights. It is incumbent on the Swedish
authorities to live up to this reputation and to reject any compromise
with negationism and denial. The Swedish Government should attempt to
assist Turkey to become a better democracy by facing its history and
acknowledging the truth, not by continuing to stagger in the darkness
of self-deception and pretense. Today, the data and information
about the Genocide of Armenians, Assyrians and Pontic Greeks are so
extensive that no serious politician can honestly cite insufficient
or inconclusive research as an excuse to avoid recognition. Refusal
to recognize established fact based on qualitative and quantitative
research may be regarded as being tantamount to denial."
"The signatories of this letter do not consider there is any doubt that
the massacres of Christians and other minorities in the Ottoman Empire
during the World War I constituted genocide. Even though research
must and will continue, the existing information is compelling and
must be acknowledged as such," the petition concluded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OBAMA MAY UPHOLD GENOCIDE CLAIMS
Today's Zaman, Turkey
June 11 2008
Senator Barack Obama may become the first US president to recognize
Armenian claims that their ancestors were subject to a systematic
genocide campaign at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire, experts say.
Formal backing of the claims by the US administration could mean
a major blow to ties between NATO allies Turkey and the United
States. Turkey categorically denies genocide charges, saying instead
Turks and Armenians died in a civil conflict during World War I years
when Armenians took up arms against the Ottoman Empire in collaboration
with the Russian army, which was then invading eastern Anatolia,
in hope of creating an independent Armenian state.
"The Armenian issue is just one factor in the Turkish-US ties if
everything else goes well," Sedat Laciner, head of the Ankara-based
International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO/USAK), was quoted
as saying by the Anatolia news agency. "But if problems emerge, the
Armenian question could put oil on fire and we may suddenly see fires
engulfing the ties," he added.
US presidents have so far refused to call the World War I events
genocide and no US administration has supported efforts in the US
Congress to recognize the alleged genocide, fearing it will harm ties
with Turkey. But Obama's position may be different. The Democratic
candidate for president has pledged to Armenian groups during his
election campaign that he will back the genocide claims if elected
president.
"Possibilities that Obama will back the genocide claims are still not
big, but compared to President George W. Bush, the risk is greater,"
said Å~^anlı Bahadır Koc, an expert on Turkish-American relations
at the Center for Eurasian Studies Center (ASAM). He said Obama would
be under pressure to keep his words to the Armenian groups if he is
elected. But there will also be others on his team telling him about
the importance of good ties with Turkey. "It is difficult to say who
will win in this," he said.
Contrary to Obama, Republican candidate John McCain is known to be
opposing efforts for US recognition of the genocide claims. Koc said
a problem between Turkey and the US on the Armenian issue is unlikely
if McCain is elected.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Zaman, Turkey
June 11 2008
Senator Barack Obama may become the first US president to recognize
Armenian claims that their ancestors were subject to a systematic
genocide campaign at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire, experts say.
Formal backing of the claims by the US administration could mean
a major blow to ties between NATO allies Turkey and the United
States. Turkey categorically denies genocide charges, saying instead
Turks and Armenians died in a civil conflict during World War I years
when Armenians took up arms against the Ottoman Empire in collaboration
with the Russian army, which was then invading eastern Anatolia,
in hope of creating an independent Armenian state.
"The Armenian issue is just one factor in the Turkish-US ties if
everything else goes well," Sedat Laciner, head of the Ankara-based
International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO/USAK), was quoted
as saying by the Anatolia news agency. "But if problems emerge, the
Armenian question could put oil on fire and we may suddenly see fires
engulfing the ties," he added.
US presidents have so far refused to call the World War I events
genocide and no US administration has supported efforts in the US
Congress to recognize the alleged genocide, fearing it will harm ties
with Turkey. But Obama's position may be different. The Democratic
candidate for president has pledged to Armenian groups during his
election campaign that he will back the genocide claims if elected
president.
"Possibilities that Obama will back the genocide claims are still not
big, but compared to President George W. Bush, the risk is greater,"
said Å~^anlı Bahadır Koc, an expert on Turkish-American relations
at the Center for Eurasian Studies Center (ASAM). He said Obama would
be under pressure to keep his words to the Armenian groups if he is
elected. But there will also be others on his team telling him about
the importance of good ties with Turkey. "It is difficult to say who
will win in this," he said.
Contrary to Obama, Republican candidate John McCain is known to be
opposing efforts for US recognition of the genocide claims. Koc said
a problem between Turkey and the US on the Armenian issue is unlikely
if McCain is elected.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment