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Deutsche Presse-Agentur
April 20, 2005, Wednesday
14:37:08 Central European Time
"Genocide" avoided by Germany to describe Armenian killings
Berlin
Germany's parliament will Thursday debate a resolution on the
"expulsion and massacres" of Armenians under the Ottoman Turks in 1915
as part of ceremonies marking the 90th anniversary of the killings.
The declaration says between 1.2 and 1.5 million Christian Armenians
died or were killed by the Moslem Turks during "planned" deportations
during the First World War.
Turkey's government rejects this version of events and says far fewer
Armenians died during Ottoman deportations which it argues took place
under war conditions and due to an Armenian rebellion.
But this official Turkish view is rejected by the German Bundestag
resolution, proposed by Germany's opposition Christian Democratic
alliance (CDU/CSU) which mainly opposes Turkish European Union (E.U.)
membership.
"Turkey denies up to this day that these events were planned and that
the deaths during expulsion treks and massacres by the Ottoman Empire
were desired," says the text.
Nevertheless, the three-page resolution is careful not to use the
word "genocide" to describe these events.
A parliamentary official, speaking on the condition of anonymity,
said this was because the document was aimed at reconciliation
between Armenians and Turks.
"We want to build bridges - not slam the door shut," said the
official.
Friedbert Pflueger, the CDU/CSU parliament foreign policy spokesman
sponsoring the resolution, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the
intention was to "open hearts and minds" in Turkey.
"It's not about which terms we use ... we are not playing down
anything - we're telling it as it is," said Pflueger, adding: "We
want to make it easier for those in Turkey who think as we do."
This approach contrasts with resolutions passed by at least 16
national parliaments, including France and the Netherlands, which
explicitly define the killings as genocide.
The more cautious German approach was criticized by the Society for
Threatened Peoples, a Goettingen-based NGO which serves as a
consultant to the United Nations and the Council of Europe.
"Those who deny the Holocaust was genocide are threatened with prison
terms in Germany," said the Society in a statement, adding: "The
German parliament loses all credibility if it does not have the
public courage to label the destruction of the Armenians genocide..."
Under German law it is a crime to deny the Holocaust in which 6
million Jews were murdered.
There are a number of reasons for caution in Berlin over the
Armenians.
Germany has about 2.5 million resident Turks, compared to an Armenian
minority of 40,000. Many Turks in Germany are poorly integrated and
officials are nervous about divisive issues such as the Armenian
past.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is a staunch backer of Turkish European
Union (E.U.) membership and the Society for Threatened Peoples
cynically noted his planned visit next month to Turkey "could not
have played any role in the decision" not to recognise the genocide.
Schroeder will visit Ankara and Istanbul for talks with Turkish
political and business leaders on May 3 and 4.
Turkey's ambassador to Germany, Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik, denounced the
Bundestag resolution and insisted there had never been an Armenian
genocide.
The resolution contains "countless factual errors" and has been
written "in agreement with propaganda efforts of fanatic
Armenians...," said Irtemcelik in an interview with Hurriyet
newspaper provided by the Turkish embassy in Berlin.
"Its goal is to defame Turkish history... and poison ties between
Turkey and the European Union," said the ambassador.
Turkey is due to start membership negotiations with the E.U. in
October but E.U. leaders say accession talks - if successful - will
take up to 15 years.
Pflueger said there would be no vote on the Armenian resolution in
parliament Thursday. The text will be sent to committees and a
redrafted version is expected to win wide government and opposition
approval in May or June, he said.
Armenians all over the world will on April 24 mark the 90th
anniversary of the start of what most international historians
describe as a genocide lasting from 1915 to 1923 which left up to 1.5
million people dead. dpa lm sc
April 20, 2005, Wednesday
14:37:08 Central European Time
"Genocide" avoided by Germany to describe Armenian killings
Berlin
Germany's parliament will Thursday debate a resolution on the
"expulsion and massacres" of Armenians under the Ottoman Turks in 1915
as part of ceremonies marking the 90th anniversary of the killings.
The declaration says between 1.2 and 1.5 million Christian Armenians
died or were killed by the Moslem Turks during "planned" deportations
during the First World War.
Turkey's government rejects this version of events and says far fewer
Armenians died during Ottoman deportations which it argues took place
under war conditions and due to an Armenian rebellion.
But this official Turkish view is rejected by the German Bundestag
resolution, proposed by Germany's opposition Christian Democratic
alliance (CDU/CSU) which mainly opposes Turkish European Union (E.U.)
membership.
"Turkey denies up to this day that these events were planned and that
the deaths during expulsion treks and massacres by the Ottoman Empire
were desired," says the text.
Nevertheless, the three-page resolution is careful not to use the
word "genocide" to describe these events.
A parliamentary official, speaking on the condition of anonymity,
said this was because the document was aimed at reconciliation
between Armenians and Turks.
"We want to build bridges - not slam the door shut," said the
official.
Friedbert Pflueger, the CDU/CSU parliament foreign policy spokesman
sponsoring the resolution, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the
intention was to "open hearts and minds" in Turkey.
"It's not about which terms we use ... we are not playing down
anything - we're telling it as it is," said Pflueger, adding: "We
want to make it easier for those in Turkey who think as we do."
This approach contrasts with resolutions passed by at least 16
national parliaments, including France and the Netherlands, which
explicitly define the killings as genocide.
The more cautious German approach was criticized by the Society for
Threatened Peoples, a Goettingen-based NGO which serves as a
consultant to the United Nations and the Council of Europe.
"Those who deny the Holocaust was genocide are threatened with prison
terms in Germany," said the Society in a statement, adding: "The
German parliament loses all credibility if it does not have the
public courage to label the destruction of the Armenians genocide..."
Under German law it is a crime to deny the Holocaust in which 6
million Jews were murdered.
There are a number of reasons for caution in Berlin over the
Armenians.
Germany has about 2.5 million resident Turks, compared to an Armenian
minority of 40,000. Many Turks in Germany are poorly integrated and
officials are nervous about divisive issues such as the Armenian
past.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is a staunch backer of Turkish European
Union (E.U.) membership and the Society for Threatened Peoples
cynically noted his planned visit next month to Turkey "could not
have played any role in the decision" not to recognise the genocide.
Schroeder will visit Ankara and Istanbul for talks with Turkish
political and business leaders on May 3 and 4.
Turkey's ambassador to Germany, Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik, denounced the
Bundestag resolution and insisted there had never been an Armenian
genocide.
The resolution contains "countless factual errors" and has been
written "in agreement with propaganda efforts of fanatic
Armenians...," said Irtemcelik in an interview with Hurriyet
newspaper provided by the Turkish embassy in Berlin.
"Its goal is to defame Turkish history... and poison ties between
Turkey and the European Union," said the ambassador.
Turkey is due to start membership negotiations with the E.U. in
October but E.U. leaders say accession talks - if successful - will
take up to 15 years.
Pflueger said there would be no vote on the Armenian resolution in
parliament Thursday. The text will be sent to committees and a
redrafted version is expected to win wide government and opposition
approval in May or June, he said.
Armenians all over the world will on April 24 mark the 90th
anniversary of the start of what most international historians
describe as a genocide lasting from 1915 to 1923 which left up to 1.5
million people dead. dpa lm sc