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ARAB AND AMAZIGH HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON TURKEY TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
12:37, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
On the eve of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, leading Arab and
Amazigh human rights organizations called on the Turkish government
to recognize the truth of the historic events, issue an unequivocal
apology, and move towards accountability and reparations.
The concerted campaign by Ottoman leaders a century ago resulted in
the deaths and exile of the vast majority of their Armenian citizens,
but successive Turkish governments have failed to recognize or take
responsibility for the deliberate and systematic mass extermination
of the ethnic group.
Signatories to the statement calling on recognition of the Armenian
Genocide include the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the Cairo
Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Arabic Network for Human Rights
Information, the El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of
Violence, Tamkeen for Legal Aid, Lawyers Without Borders, the World
Amazigh Assembly, the National Federation of Amazigh Associations in
Morocco, and the Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization.
"We call on President Erdogan and Prime Minister Davutoglu to recognize
the Armenian genocide and the responsibility of Turkey's predecessor
government for the terrible crimes against the Armenian community,"
said Ziad Abdel Watab, Deputy Director of the Cairo Institute for
Human Rights Studies." As human rights organizations, we reiterate
our call for unequivocal truth, justice, and accountability for the
victims of this Genocide."
"The historic record is well-settled, and it is well past time for the
Turkish government to end its denials and come to terms with its past,
for the benefit of Turks, Armenians, and all of humanity," said Khaled
Mansour, board member of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
"By recognizing the massive crimes and human rights abuses that took
place within its own nation, even if a century ago, Turkey could
initiate a unique path in a region whose political conflicts have
degenerated into bloody ethnic and sectarian conflicts."
A full copy of the statement appears below:
This year, on the occasion of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide,
we join in extending our condolences to the global Armenian community
for the mass extermination campaign against them in 1915, which is
commemorated annually on April 24th. We call on President Erdogan
and Prime Minister Davutoglu to recognize the genocide and the
responsibility of Turkey's predecessor government for the terrible
crimes against the Armenian community. As human rights organizations
in the Middle East and North Africa region, we reiterate our call for
truth, justice, and accountability for the victims of this Genocide.
The facts of the Armenian Genocide are well known. Encouraged by the
cloak of war and alarmed by the crumbling of the Ottoman Empire,
the Young Turk leadership saw the Armenian population as a threat
to the Empire's future survival, and decided to exterminate their
Armenian subjects. Beginning in the spring of 1915, in one of the
first genocides of the twentieth century, the Young Turk regime
and its state officials presided over the mass deportation and
annihilation of up to a million and a half Armenians from different
parts of the Empire. Despite wide-scale global recognition of these
facts, successive Turkish governments have refused to acknowledge the
events of 1915 as genocide or to make any reparations or amends to the
survivors. Discussion of the Armenian Genocide remains controversial
inside Turkey, and the vast majority of Turks are ignorant about the
history and facts of the genocide.
The government of Turkey today presents itself as a model for nations
around the world, often championing human rights throughout the region
and in the Muslim world. By recognizing the massive crimes and human
rights abuses that took place within its own nation, even if a century
ago, Turkey could initiate a unique path in a region whose political
conflicts have degenerated into bloody ethnic and sectarian conflicts.
As activists and representatives of human rights organizations in the
Middle East and North Africa, we call upon the Turkish government to
now, one hundred years later, acknowledge the scale and magnitude of
the atrocities committed against the Armenian people. Without truth,
recognition and accountability for past crimes, it is difficult to
change course and set a new path for respect, tolerance and protection
for minorities in the world today, and especially in the Middle East
and North Africa.
Signatories:
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
Tamkeen for Legal Aid
World Amazigh Assembly
Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization
National Federation of Amazigh Associations in Morocco
Lawyers Without Borders
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/04/22/arab-and-amazigh-human-rights-organizations-call-on-turkey-to-recognize-armenian-genocide/
12:37, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
On the eve of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, leading Arab and
Amazigh human rights organizations called on the Turkish government
to recognize the truth of the historic events, issue an unequivocal
apology, and move towards accountability and reparations.
The concerted campaign by Ottoman leaders a century ago resulted in
the deaths and exile of the vast majority of their Armenian citizens,
but successive Turkish governments have failed to recognize or take
responsibility for the deliberate and systematic mass extermination
of the ethnic group.
Signatories to the statement calling on recognition of the Armenian
Genocide include the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the Cairo
Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Arabic Network for Human Rights
Information, the El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of
Violence, Tamkeen for Legal Aid, Lawyers Without Borders, the World
Amazigh Assembly, the National Federation of Amazigh Associations in
Morocco, and the Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization.
"We call on President Erdogan and Prime Minister Davutoglu to recognize
the Armenian genocide and the responsibility of Turkey's predecessor
government for the terrible crimes against the Armenian community,"
said Ziad Abdel Watab, Deputy Director of the Cairo Institute for
Human Rights Studies." As human rights organizations, we reiterate
our call for unequivocal truth, justice, and accountability for the
victims of this Genocide."
"The historic record is well-settled, and it is well past time for the
Turkish government to end its denials and come to terms with its past,
for the benefit of Turks, Armenians, and all of humanity," said Khaled
Mansour, board member of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
"By recognizing the massive crimes and human rights abuses that took
place within its own nation, even if a century ago, Turkey could
initiate a unique path in a region whose political conflicts have
degenerated into bloody ethnic and sectarian conflicts."
A full copy of the statement appears below:
This year, on the occasion of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide,
we join in extending our condolences to the global Armenian community
for the mass extermination campaign against them in 1915, which is
commemorated annually on April 24th. We call on President Erdogan
and Prime Minister Davutoglu to recognize the genocide and the
responsibility of Turkey's predecessor government for the terrible
crimes against the Armenian community. As human rights organizations
in the Middle East and North Africa region, we reiterate our call for
truth, justice, and accountability for the victims of this Genocide.
The facts of the Armenian Genocide are well known. Encouraged by the
cloak of war and alarmed by the crumbling of the Ottoman Empire,
the Young Turk leadership saw the Armenian population as a threat
to the Empire's future survival, and decided to exterminate their
Armenian subjects. Beginning in the spring of 1915, in one of the
first genocides of the twentieth century, the Young Turk regime
and its state officials presided over the mass deportation and
annihilation of up to a million and a half Armenians from different
parts of the Empire. Despite wide-scale global recognition of these
facts, successive Turkish governments have refused to acknowledge the
events of 1915 as genocide or to make any reparations or amends to the
survivors. Discussion of the Armenian Genocide remains controversial
inside Turkey, and the vast majority of Turks are ignorant about the
history and facts of the genocide.
The government of Turkey today presents itself as a model for nations
around the world, often championing human rights throughout the region
and in the Muslim world. By recognizing the massive crimes and human
rights abuses that took place within its own nation, even if a century
ago, Turkey could initiate a unique path in a region whose political
conflicts have degenerated into bloody ethnic and sectarian conflicts.
As activists and representatives of human rights organizations in the
Middle East and North Africa, we call upon the Turkish government to
now, one hundred years later, acknowledge the scale and magnitude of
the atrocities committed against the Armenian people. Without truth,
recognition and accountability for past crimes, it is difficult to
change course and set a new path for respect, tolerance and protection
for minorities in the world today, and especially in the Middle East
and North Africa.
Signatories:
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
Tamkeen for Legal Aid
World Amazigh Assembly
Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization
National Federation of Amazigh Associations in Morocco
Lawyers Without Borders
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/04/22/arab-and-amazigh-human-rights-organizations-call-on-turkey-to-recognize-armenian-genocide/