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SPANISH LAWMAKERS DISMISS 'ARMENIAN GENOCIDE' RESOLUTION
Today's Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-281329-spanish-lawmakers-dismiss-armenian-genocide-resolution.html
May 24 2012
Turkey
Spanish lawmakers have voted against a resolution describing the
killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of
the last century as "genocide," a news report said on Thursday.
Lawmakers at the Foreign Affairs Committee rejected the proposed
resolution by a resounding 3-36 vote, the Anatolia news agency
reported. The measure was proposed by two deputies from Amaiur,
a left-wing Basque nationalist coalition, and was only supported by
members from the United Left (IU) coalition and the Basque Nationalist
Party (PNV). Members representing all the other parties at the
committee, including the ruling People's Party (PP) and the main
opposition Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), opposed the resolution.
A spokesman for the PP said the ruling party was opposed to the
measure because it was against "a revision of history" by parliament.
Jose Maria Beneyto said his party encourages reconciliation efforts
instead.
Meritxell Batet, a PSOE lawmaker, agreed, saying such resolutions harm
Turkish-Armenian ties. "The best way is to encourage reconciliation,"
she was quoted as saying by Anatolia.
Other lawmakers criticized the Amaiur deputies who proposed the
resolution, saying they should be mourning those who have been killed
in terror attacks in the Basque region instead of shedding "crocodile
tears" for the Armenians.
Spanish views on history appear to be split along the political
divisions in the country. The governments of Spain's autonomous
regions in the Basque Country, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia
have adopted resolutions describing the 1915 events as genocide,
while the Spanish parliament is reluctant to approve such steps. A
similar measure, tabled by the Republican Left of Catalonia was voted
down in the Spanish parliament in 2010.
Turkey rejects Armenian claims of genocide, saying there were deaths
on both sides as the Ottoman Empire was trying to quell a revolt by
Armenian gangs who took up arms against the central government for
independence in collaboration with the Russian army that was then
invading eastern Anatolia.
But parliaments in a number of countries have already passed
resolutions supporting the Armenian claims of genocide. Earlier
this year, France, whose parliament had already adopted the Armenian
version of history, attempted to take it a step further and criminalize
denial of the alleged genocide. A bill to that effect was passed in
both houses of the French parliament but was annulled in February by
the country's Constitutional Council, which said it ran counter to
the constitutional principle of freedom of expression.
Today's Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-281329-spanish-lawmakers-dismiss-armenian-genocide-resolution.html
May 24 2012
Turkey
Spanish lawmakers have voted against a resolution describing the
killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of
the last century as "genocide," a news report said on Thursday.
Lawmakers at the Foreign Affairs Committee rejected the proposed
resolution by a resounding 3-36 vote, the Anatolia news agency
reported. The measure was proposed by two deputies from Amaiur,
a left-wing Basque nationalist coalition, and was only supported by
members from the United Left (IU) coalition and the Basque Nationalist
Party (PNV). Members representing all the other parties at the
committee, including the ruling People's Party (PP) and the main
opposition Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), opposed the resolution.
A spokesman for the PP said the ruling party was opposed to the
measure because it was against "a revision of history" by parliament.
Jose Maria Beneyto said his party encourages reconciliation efforts
instead.
Meritxell Batet, a PSOE lawmaker, agreed, saying such resolutions harm
Turkish-Armenian ties. "The best way is to encourage reconciliation,"
she was quoted as saying by Anatolia.
Other lawmakers criticized the Amaiur deputies who proposed the
resolution, saying they should be mourning those who have been killed
in terror attacks in the Basque region instead of shedding "crocodile
tears" for the Armenians.
Spanish views on history appear to be split along the political
divisions in the country. The governments of Spain's autonomous
regions in the Basque Country, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia
have adopted resolutions describing the 1915 events as genocide,
while the Spanish parliament is reluctant to approve such steps. A
similar measure, tabled by the Republican Left of Catalonia was voted
down in the Spanish parliament in 2010.
Turkey rejects Armenian claims of genocide, saying there were deaths
on both sides as the Ottoman Empire was trying to quell a revolt by
Armenian gangs who took up arms against the central government for
independence in collaboration with the Russian army that was then
invading eastern Anatolia.
But parliaments in a number of countries have already passed
resolutions supporting the Armenian claims of genocide. Earlier
this year, France, whose parliament had already adopted the Armenian
version of history, attempted to take it a step further and criminalize
denial of the alleged genocide. A bill to that effect was passed in
both houses of the French parliament but was annulled in February by
the country's Constitutional Council, which said it ran counter to
the constitutional principle of freedom of expression.