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News article from Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200 504/s1352254.htm
Armenia demands Turkey acknowledge 'genocide'
Over 10,000 people have marched through the streets of
Armenia's capital on the eve of the 90th anniversary
of mass killings by Ottoman Turks, demanding that
Turkey recognise the episode as genocide.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen
perished in orchestrated killings between 1915 and
1917 as the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of modern
Turkey, was disintegrating.
Ankara counters that 300,000 Armenians and thousands
of Turks were killed in "civil strife" during World
War I when Armenians rose against the Ottoman rulers
and sided with invading Russian troops.
Meanwhile, Armenian President Robert Kocharian made a
conciliatory gesture towards Ankara, saying Yerevan
would not ask for financial compensations for the
killings if Turkey recognised them as genocidal.
"We are not talking about compensations, this is only
about a moral issue," Mr Kocharian told Russia's
Rossiya television, which is also broadcast in
Armenia.
"There is no talk about material consequences.
"We understand that we must look towards the future,
and not the past, although that should not be
forgotten ... We feel no hatred today, only sorrow
remains."
Thousands of demonstrators, mostly young people,
marched through the centre of Yerevan, holding torches
and chanting "Armenia! Recognition!" as they proceeded
towards a memorial commemorating the 1915 slayings.
"This is not a mourning march," one of the organisers,
Zinavor Megrian, told AFP.
"Young people are demanding that the human rights that
were violated by Turkey many years ago be reasserted,
and that Turkey recognise the genocide," added Mr
Megrian, who also belongs to the youth organisation of
Armenia's ruling party.
Many members of the Armenian diaspora worldwide came
to Yerevan to take part in Saturday's march and
Sunday's official ceremonies, at which organisers say
1.5 million participants are expected.
"This is a very important event for me, because it
allows me to express my discontent at countries that
do not recognise the genocide," said 21-year-old Ami
Aratelian, an Armenian woman from Iran who was among
the marchers Saturday.
"The Turks who committed this crime must answer for it
not only before the Armenians, but before the whole
world," said 16-year-old Dvin Pipizian, from Canada.
Ceremonies will begin Sunday with the laying of a
wreath at the genocide memorial, which will be
attended by Kocharian.
A mass will be celebrated later that day and a minute
of silence will be observed throughout Armenia at
7:00pm (local time).
On Tuesday Poland joined a list of 15 countries that
have officially acknowledged the killings as genocide
when its parliament passed a resolution condemning the
Armenian massacres.
The decision has already drawn protest from Ankara,
where officials called it "irresponsible" and said it
would hurt relations.
-AFP
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200 504/s1352254.htm
Armenia demands Turkey acknowledge 'genocide'
Over 10,000 people have marched through the streets of
Armenia's capital on the eve of the 90th anniversary
of mass killings by Ottoman Turks, demanding that
Turkey recognise the episode as genocide.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen
perished in orchestrated killings between 1915 and
1917 as the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of modern
Turkey, was disintegrating.
Ankara counters that 300,000 Armenians and thousands
of Turks were killed in "civil strife" during World
War I when Armenians rose against the Ottoman rulers
and sided with invading Russian troops.
Meanwhile, Armenian President Robert Kocharian made a
conciliatory gesture towards Ankara, saying Yerevan
would not ask for financial compensations for the
killings if Turkey recognised them as genocidal.
"We are not talking about compensations, this is only
about a moral issue," Mr Kocharian told Russia's
Rossiya television, which is also broadcast in
Armenia.
"There is no talk about material consequences.
"We understand that we must look towards the future,
and not the past, although that should not be
forgotten ... We feel no hatred today, only sorrow
remains."
Thousands of demonstrators, mostly young people,
marched through the centre of Yerevan, holding torches
and chanting "Armenia! Recognition!" as they proceeded
towards a memorial commemorating the 1915 slayings.
"This is not a mourning march," one of the organisers,
Zinavor Megrian, told AFP.
"Young people are demanding that the human rights that
were violated by Turkey many years ago be reasserted,
and that Turkey recognise the genocide," added Mr
Megrian, who also belongs to the youth organisation of
Armenia's ruling party.
Many members of the Armenian diaspora worldwide came
to Yerevan to take part in Saturday's march and
Sunday's official ceremonies, at which organisers say
1.5 million participants are expected.
"This is a very important event for me, because it
allows me to express my discontent at countries that
do not recognise the genocide," said 21-year-old Ami
Aratelian, an Armenian woman from Iran who was among
the marchers Saturday.
"The Turks who committed this crime must answer for it
not only before the Armenians, but before the whole
world," said 16-year-old Dvin Pipizian, from Canada.
Ceremonies will begin Sunday with the laying of a
wreath at the genocide memorial, which will be
attended by Kocharian.
A mass will be celebrated later that day and a minute
of silence will be observed throughout Armenia at
7:00pm (local time).
On Tuesday Poland joined a list of 15 countries that
have officially acknowledged the killings as genocide
when its parliament passed a resolution condemning the
Armenian massacres.
The decision has already drawn protest from Ankara,
where officials called it "irresponsible" and said it
would hurt relations.
-AFP