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German CDU/CSU calls on Turkey to deal with Armenian "genocide" unconditionally
ddp news agency, Berlin
21 Apr 05
Berlin (ddp): Ninety years after the deportations and massacres of
Armenians had started in Turkey on 24 April 1915, the Bundestag [lower
chamber of the German parliament] on Thursday [21 April] dealt with
the relationship between Turks and Armenians. In this connection,
the CDU/CSU [Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union]
had presented a motion to the parliament, calling on the Federal
Government to urge "Turkey to unconditionally deal with its past and
present role with regard to the Armenian people".
In its motion, the CDU/CSU points out that, according to independent
calculations, the deportations and mass murders of that time had
claimed between 1.2 and 1.5 million Armenian victims. However, Turkey,
as the legal successor of the Ottoman Empire, has so far denied that
these crimes were committed systematically, the motion says. The
incidents of that time are regarded as the first genocide of the
20th century.
"Apart from the Ottoman Empire, the state that was most deeply involved
in these incidents was the Ottoman Empire's main military ally during
World War I, the German Empire," the motion continues. At the same
time, it calls on Germany to contribute to "a settlement between
Turks and Armenians on the basis of reconciliation and forgiveness
of historical guilt".
At the beginning of the debate, CDU Deputy Christoph Bergner called
the "almost complete destruction of a century-old culture on Armenian
soil a tragedy at the beginning of the 20th century". Ninety years
ago, in the Ottoman Empire, hundreds of thousands of Armenians were
"brutally deported" and "killed systematically, often with unrestrained
cruelty", he said.
The impending 90th anniversary is probably the last major anniversary
where eyewitnesses of the incidents of that time are still alive,
Bergner added. At the same time, he expressed his hope that the
committee consultations on the CDU/CSU motion will lead to a joint
resolution supported by various parliamentary groups.
ddp news agency, Berlin
21 Apr 05
Berlin (ddp): Ninety years after the deportations and massacres of
Armenians had started in Turkey on 24 April 1915, the Bundestag [lower
chamber of the German parliament] on Thursday [21 April] dealt with
the relationship between Turks and Armenians. In this connection,
the CDU/CSU [Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union]
had presented a motion to the parliament, calling on the Federal
Government to urge "Turkey to unconditionally deal with its past and
present role with regard to the Armenian people".
In its motion, the CDU/CSU points out that, according to independent
calculations, the deportations and mass murders of that time had
claimed between 1.2 and 1.5 million Armenian victims. However, Turkey,
as the legal successor of the Ottoman Empire, has so far denied that
these crimes were committed systematically, the motion says. The
incidents of that time are regarded as the first genocide of the
20th century.
"Apart from the Ottoman Empire, the state that was most deeply involved
in these incidents was the Ottoman Empire's main military ally during
World War I, the German Empire," the motion continues. At the same
time, it calls on Germany to contribute to "a settlement between
Turks and Armenians on the basis of reconciliation and forgiveness
of historical guilt".
At the beginning of the debate, CDU Deputy Christoph Bergner called
the "almost complete destruction of a century-old culture on Armenian
soil a tragedy at the beginning of the 20th century". Ninety years
ago, in the Ottoman Empire, hundreds of thousands of Armenians were
"brutally deported" and "killed systematically, often with unrestrained
cruelty", he said.
The impending 90th anniversary is probably the last major anniversary
where eyewitnesses of the incidents of that time are still alive,
Bergner added. At the same time, he expressed his hope that the
committee consultations on the CDU/CSU motion will lead to a joint
resolution supported by various parliamentary groups.