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National Office
130 Albert Street, Suite 1007,
Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4
Tel.: 613-235-2622 Fax: 613-238-2622
E-mail: [email protected]
Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Rue Albert Street, Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, Ontario
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622
Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/Courriel:[email protected]
www.anccanada.org
September 19, 2012Contact: Roupen Kouyoumdjian
(514) 265-4602
Canada Should Help Turkey Correct its Human Rights Record
On the occasion of a state visit to Canada by Turkey's Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu, the Armenian National Committee of
Canada calls upon the Canadian government to use this opportunity to
encourage Turkey toward becoming a better practitioner of human rights.
Canada, a leader in the advancement of international human rights,
should help guide Turkey to correct its continuing abuses of human
rights both domestically and internationally. According to Amnesty
International's 2012 country report on Turkey:
/"...Promised constitutional and other legal reforms did not occur.
Instead, the right to freedom of expression was threatened and
protesters faced increased police violence. Thousands of prosecutions
brought under flawed anti-terrorism laws routinely failed fair trial
standards. Bomb attacks claimed the lives of civilians. No progress was
made in recognizing the right to conscientious objection or in
protecting the rights of children in the judicial system..."/
//"Canada must not turn a blind eye to Turkey's centuries-old and
continued disregard for human rights," stated Dr. Girair Basmadjian,
President of the ANCC."Rather, Canada must take every opportunity to
remind Turkey of its obligation to correct past injustices and ensure
that human rights are established in Turkey. Until Turkey does not
reform its abusive practices, its calls for regional justice and
humanitarianism will remain hypocritical rhetoric. We call on Foreign
Affairs Minister John Baird to take action in guiding Turkey towards
improving its human rights practices."
Turkey's state policy of denial of the Armenian Genocide is part of its
appalling human rights record.Recalling Canada's Senate motion of June
13, 2002, Dr Girair Basmadjian added:"The Senate motion calls upon
Canada not only to recognize the genocide of the Armenians, which Canada
has since done, but also "/to condemn any attempt to deny or distort a
historical truth as being anything less than genocide, a crime against
humanity". /Turkey's attempts at denial and minimization are well known
to all; this includes pressuring even those countries who have
recognized the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide to soften their
statements on the matter."Canada must condemn Turkey's attempts to deny
the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide" stated the ANCC President.
//
The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots human rights organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
------
Le CNAC est l'organisation canadienne-arménienne de droits humains la
plus large et influent. Collaborant avec une série de bureaux, chapitres
et souteneurs à travers le Canada et des organisations affiliées à
travers le monde, le CNAC s'occupe activement des inquiétudes de la
communauté canadienne-arménienne.
130 Albert Street, Suite 1007,
Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4
Tel.: 613-235-2622 Fax: 613-238-2622
E-mail: [email protected]
Armenian National Committee of Canada
Comité National Arménien du Canada
130 Rue Albert Street, Suite/Bureau 1007
Ottawa, Ontario
KIP 5G4
Tel./Tél. (613) 235-2622
Fax/Téléc. (613) 238-2622
E-mail/Courriel:[email protected]
www.anccanada.org
September 19, 2012Contact: Roupen Kouyoumdjian
(514) 265-4602
Canada Should Help Turkey Correct its Human Rights Record
On the occasion of a state visit to Canada by Turkey's Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu, the Armenian National Committee of
Canada calls upon the Canadian government to use this opportunity to
encourage Turkey toward becoming a better practitioner of human rights.
Canada, a leader in the advancement of international human rights,
should help guide Turkey to correct its continuing abuses of human
rights both domestically and internationally. According to Amnesty
International's 2012 country report on Turkey:
/"...Promised constitutional and other legal reforms did not occur.
Instead, the right to freedom of expression was threatened and
protesters faced increased police violence. Thousands of prosecutions
brought under flawed anti-terrorism laws routinely failed fair trial
standards. Bomb attacks claimed the lives of civilians. No progress was
made in recognizing the right to conscientious objection or in
protecting the rights of children in the judicial system..."/
//"Canada must not turn a blind eye to Turkey's centuries-old and
continued disregard for human rights," stated Dr. Girair Basmadjian,
President of the ANCC."Rather, Canada must take every opportunity to
remind Turkey of its obligation to correct past injustices and ensure
that human rights are established in Turkey. Until Turkey does not
reform its abusive practices, its calls for regional justice and
humanitarianism will remain hypocritical rhetoric. We call on Foreign
Affairs Minister John Baird to take action in guiding Turkey towards
improving its human rights practices."
Turkey's state policy of denial of the Armenian Genocide is part of its
appalling human rights record.Recalling Canada's Senate motion of June
13, 2002, Dr Girair Basmadjian added:"The Senate motion calls upon
Canada not only to recognize the genocide of the Armenians, which Canada
has since done, but also "/to condemn any attempt to deny or distort a
historical truth as being anything less than genocide, a crime against
humanity". /Turkey's attempts at denial and minimization are well known
to all; this includes pressuring even those countries who have
recognized the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide to soften their
statements on the matter."Canada must condemn Turkey's attempts to deny
the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide" stated the ANCC President.
//
The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots human rights organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
------
Le CNAC est l'organisation canadienne-arménienne de droits humains la
plus large et influent. Collaborant avec une série de bureaux, chapitres
et souteneurs à travers le Canada et des organisations affiliées à
travers le monde, le CNAC s'occupe activement des inquiétudes de la
communauté canadienne-arménienne.