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AUSTRIA RECOGNIZES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, CALLS ON TURKEY TO DO THE SAME
(c) Flickr/ Bernard Walker
EUROPE
16:43 22.04.2015(updated 16:50 22.04.2015) Get short URL
2020
Austria is the latest European country to recognize the killing of
Armenians at the hands of Ottoman forces during World War One as
"genocide," ahead of the 100th anniversary of the atrocity.
Austrian lawmakers used the term genocide to describe the slaughter
of Armenian people under the rule of the former Ottoman Empire,
which was a precursor to the modern state of Turkey.
(c) SPUTNIK/ MICHAEL KLIMENTYEV Putin's Armenia Trip for Genocide
Anniversary Not to Harm Ties With Turkey
"April 24, 1915 marks the beginning of the persecutions, which ended
in genocide," parliament president Doris Bures said, with MPs observing
a minute's silence.
Along with the parliamentary acknowledgement of the genocide, the
leaders of Austria's six major parties also released a statement
saying that the country, as a former ally to the Ottoman Empire, had a
"duty to recognize and condemn these horrific events as genocide."
In a move sure to stir anger in Ankara, the party leaders also
called on Turkey to take greater responsibility for its role in the
mass murder, as Turkish officials do not accept that it was an act
of genocide.
"It is Turkey's duty to face the dark and painful chapter of its
past and recognize the crimes committed against Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire as genocide," the statement read.
Austria's decision follows similar moves taken by Germany, with a
spokesperson for Chancellor Angela Merkel saying the government would
support a parliamentary resolution on Friday, declaring the massacre
as genocide.
This comes after Germany -- who has considerable modern trade and
immigration ties with Turkey -- had repeatedly refused to use the term
'genocide.'
Some estimates suggest that as many as 1.5 million Armenians were
killed as part of a targeted military campaign to remove Armenian
people from Anatolia, now a part of eastern Turkey.
However, despite the campaign to acknowledge the deaths as genocide,
Turkish officials say both Turks and Armenians died as part of the
battle during World War One.
The issue of acknowledging the atrocities has been an issue of
political tension for Turkey, as more than 20 countries, including
Russia and France have formally recognized the attacks as genocide.
Read more:
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150422/1021230037.html#ixzz3Y2ubvR6V
From: A. Papazian
(c) Flickr/ Bernard Walker
EUROPE
16:43 22.04.2015(updated 16:50 22.04.2015) Get short URL
2020
Austria is the latest European country to recognize the killing of
Armenians at the hands of Ottoman forces during World War One as
"genocide," ahead of the 100th anniversary of the atrocity.
Austrian lawmakers used the term genocide to describe the slaughter
of Armenian people under the rule of the former Ottoman Empire,
which was a precursor to the modern state of Turkey.
(c) SPUTNIK/ MICHAEL KLIMENTYEV Putin's Armenia Trip for Genocide
Anniversary Not to Harm Ties With Turkey
"April 24, 1915 marks the beginning of the persecutions, which ended
in genocide," parliament president Doris Bures said, with MPs observing
a minute's silence.
Along with the parliamentary acknowledgement of the genocide, the
leaders of Austria's six major parties also released a statement
saying that the country, as a former ally to the Ottoman Empire, had a
"duty to recognize and condemn these horrific events as genocide."
In a move sure to stir anger in Ankara, the party leaders also
called on Turkey to take greater responsibility for its role in the
mass murder, as Turkish officials do not accept that it was an act
of genocide.
"It is Turkey's duty to face the dark and painful chapter of its
past and recognize the crimes committed against Armenians under the
Ottoman Empire as genocide," the statement read.
Austria's decision follows similar moves taken by Germany, with a
spokesperson for Chancellor Angela Merkel saying the government would
support a parliamentary resolution on Friday, declaring the massacre
as genocide.
This comes after Germany -- who has considerable modern trade and
immigration ties with Turkey -- had repeatedly refused to use the term
'genocide.'
Some estimates suggest that as many as 1.5 million Armenians were
killed as part of a targeted military campaign to remove Armenian
people from Anatolia, now a part of eastern Turkey.
However, despite the campaign to acknowledge the deaths as genocide,
Turkish officials say both Turks and Armenians died as part of the
battle during World War One.
The issue of acknowledging the atrocities has been an issue of
political tension for Turkey, as more than 20 countries, including
Russia and France have formally recognized the attacks as genocide.
Read more:
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150422/1021230037.html#ixzz3Y2ubvR6V
From: A. Papazian