Category: News

(panarmenian.net) The regional council of Marche, Italy, has unanimously approved a measure to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Tert.am reports.

In a resolution adopted on Tuesday, October 6, Marche expressed solidarity with the Armenian people on the tragedy’s centennial.

Council members Boris Rapa (Uniti per le Marche), Moreno Pieroni (Uniti per le Marche), Gianluca Busilacchi (Partito Democratico) and Luca Marconi (Popolari Marche-Unioni de Centro) initiated the bill.

Italy recognized the Armenian Genocide back in 2000.

On April 24, 2015, Armenians around the world commemorated the centennial of the Genocide, perpetrated at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

Following is the text of the motion (in Italian)

ESTRATTO DEL PROCESSO VERBALE DELLA SEDUTA ANTIMERIDIANA DEL 6 OTTOBRE 2015, N. 7

PRESIEDE IL PRESIDENTE ANTONIO MASTROVINCENZO
VICEPRESIDENTI RENATO CLAUDIO MINARDI e MARZIA MALAIGIA

Assiste il Segretario dell’Assemblea legislativa dott.ssa Paola Santoncini
Alle ore 10,20, nella sala assembleare di via Tiziano n. 44, ad Ancona, il Presidente dichiara aperta la seduta dell’Assemblea legislativa.
O M I S S I S
Il Presidente passa alla trattazione del punto iscritto all’ordine del giorno che reca:

MOZIONE N. 12

ad iniziativa dei consiglieri Rapa, Pieroni, Busilacchi, Marconi
“Genocidio del popolo armeno”.
Nessuno chiede di intervenire ed il Presidente la pone in votazione.
L’Assemblea legislativa approva la mozione n. 12, nel testo che segue:“

L’ASSEMBLEA LEGISLATIVA DELLE MARCHE,

VISTA la richiesta dell’Unione degli Armeni d’Italia per un atto ufficiale di riconoscimento del Genocidio del popolo armeno, in occasione delle commemorazioni del centenario di tale tragedia;
CONSIDERATO che tale dramma storico è stato riconosciuto come Genocidio dalla Sottocommissione per i diritti umani dell’ONU nel 1973 e 1986, dal Parlamento europeo nel 1987, dal Parlamento italiano (da tutti i gruppi parlamentari) in data 17 novembre 2000 e financo dalla stessa Corte Marziale ottomana nel 1919;
RICORDATO che il Tribunale Permanente dei Popoli ha riconosciuto fra l’altro che “lo sterminio delle popolazioni armene con la deportazione e il massacro costituisce un crimine imprescrittibile di genocidio ai sensi della convenzione del 9 dicembre 1948, per la prevenzione e repressione del crimine di genocidio”;
TENUTO CONTO che lo stesso Parlamento europeo, il 15 novembre 2000 e il 15 aprile 2015, ha approvato a larga maggioranza una risoluzione sulla relazione periodica 1999 della Commissione europea sui progressi della Turchia verso l’adesione e che tale risoluzione affronta questioni che riguardano il popolo armeno in paragrafi significativi, invitando al riconoscimento del genocidio ai danni della minoranza armena commesso anteriormente alla nascita della moderna Repubblica Turca;
RICORDANDO anche il discorso del Santo Padre Francesco, pronunciato durante la messa dedicata al Genocidio del Popolo Armeno il 12 aprile 2015, nella basilica di San Pietro a Roma;
RILEVATO che il genocidio è il più feroce e disumano fra i crimini in quanto tende all’eliminazione di tutto un popolo, della sua identità, della sua cultura, della sua storia e della sua religione;
RICONOSCIUTA la necessità che l’opinione pubblica approfondisca il dramma del popolo armeno affinché tali tragedie della storia siano di monito soprattutto alle giovani generazioni;
ESPRIME la propria piena solidarietà al popolo armeno in occasione del centenario del Genocidio degli Armeni;

IMPEGNA LA GIUNTA REGIONALE

alla diffusione della presente mozione a mezzo comunicato stampa, affinché l’intera cittadinanza sia partecipe del sentimento di solidarietà verso il popolo armeno;

alla comunicazione dell’approvazione della mozione all’Unione degli Armeni d’Italia, affinché la trasmetta alla Direzione del Memoriale del genocidio della capitale armena Yerevan ed il nominativo della Regione sia inserito nella lista dei “Giusti” per la Memoria del Metz Yeghern (il Grande Male), insieme a tutti gli altri che hanno adottato simili atti”.

IL PRESIDENTE
F.to Antonio Mastrovincenzo
IL VICEPRESIDENTE
F.to Renato Claudio Minardi
LA VICEPRESIDENTE
F.to Marzia Malaigia

(Prensa Armenia) The House of Representatives of the province of Misiones, Argentina, approved a law that adheres to the National Law 26,199, which establishes every April 24 as the “Day of Action for Tolerance and Respect between Peoples” in commemoration of the genocide against the Armenian people.

Law VI-186 was enacted on September 3 in Posadas, and was promulgated on 18 March.

The Law 26,199, enacted on December 13 2006 and promulgated on 11 January 2007, invites provincial governments to “adhere to the provisions of this law,” according to Article 4.

The list of Argentine provinces that adhered to this law are: Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Córdoba, Corrientes, Jujuy, La Pampa, Neuquén, Río Negro, San Juan, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero and Tierra del Fuego.

Argentina-Misiones-Armenian-Genocide-law.pdf

(armeniangenocide100.org) On September 29, the Spanish town of Silla, Valencia province officially recognized the Armenian Genocide during a City Council session, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

The resolution was presented by Left Union spokesperson Valentin Mateo who briefly introduced the incentives and consequences of the first Genocide of the 20th century and stressed the need for recognition and condemnation. The six parties representing the City Council unanimously voted in favor of the resolution and acknowledged that the crime perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire was genocide.

Thus, Silla joined the Spanish cities that have officially recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide. As a reminder, the Armenian Genocide has been officially recognized by the city councils of the Spanish towns of Mislata, Burjassot, Betera, San Sebastian, Xirivella, Pinto, Santa Margarita and Manises.

On April 17, 2015 the Basque Parliament condemned the ‘terrible’ crime of the Armenian Genocide, demanded Turkey to recognize it and called for ‘reconciliation between the two countries based on shared history.’ The Parliament has also called for ‘transparent and sincere dialogue’ between Turks and Armenians to ‘build a common future, which will close this tragic chapter of history’ for which understanding, recognition and justice are substantial.

In June 2014, the Spanish autonomous Navarre region‘s parliament recognized the Armenian Genocide. Navarre’s parliament adopted a declaration condemning the Turkish regime’s policy and calling on Turkey to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia in line with good neighborly relations and peaceful settlement of the border issue. The document also states that given the status of Turkey as a EU candidate, these two issues need immediate solutions.

The fact of the Genocide has also been recognized by Catalonia and the Balearic Islands,

(PRENSA ARMENIA) The Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) approved on Friday June 31 a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The Panama-based body that was created in 1964 with the Declaration of Lima, and is composed by the National Congresses and Legislative Assemblies of all Iberoamerica.

This new recognition of the crime against humanity perpetrated by the Turkish state, adds to the resolutions adopted by Parliaments in South America this year, as was the case of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, the Federal Senate of Brazil and the State Legislature of Rio de Janeiro.

“Among many other topics covered by Executive Board of the Latin American Parliament and the Caribbean Declaration, the recognition of the Armenian Genocide was supported almost unanimously (with one abstention),” wrote National Deputy of Montevideo Alfredo Asti a few minutes later. “Uruguay was a pioneer in the world in this recognition 50 years ago and today we strongly supported this position.”

(prensaarmenia.com.ar) The State of Rio de Janeiro recognized the Armenian Genocide on Friday, July 24 through a law that establishes all April 24 as “Day of recognition and memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide”.

The law was enacted by the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezão.

Rio de Janeiro is the fourth State in Brazil that recognizes the Genocide, along with Parana, Ceara and Sao Paulo. Months ago, the Brazilian Senate passed a vote of solidarity with the Armenian people for the centenary of crime against humanity.

(EAFJD) Brussels, 23 July, 2015: Today, the deputies at the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies of Belgium with an overwhelming majority voted for the resolution recognising the Armenian Genocide.

After yesterday’s passionate debate in the plenary session, where all party representatives in their speeches condemned the Genocide perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey and stressed the need for Turkey to recognise the Armenian Genocide, and by today’s resolution, Belgium’s both Parliaments (Senate, 1998) and the federal government (June 2015) have now recognised the Armenian Genocide. The Flemish Parliament has also recognised the Armenian Genocide on 22 April, 2015.

Mr. Peter De Roover (N-VA) was the first to speak. He showed his solidarity with the Armenian people, by wearing the ‘forget-me-not’ commemorative pin of the centenary of the Genocide. He called on the Turkish authorities to recognise the Armenian Genocide and to stop the denial policy. Stephane Crusnière of the Socialist Party said that his party has always recognised the Armenian Genocide.

Mr. Denis Ducarme (MR) mentioned the fact that from this very podium on June 18th the Belgian Prime Minister Mr. Charles Michel recognised the Armenian Genocide in the name of the Belgian government. Mrs. Sarah Claerhout (CD&V) noted that this resolution is a call to Turkey to intensify its efforts to recognise the Armenian Genocide; Mr. Benoit Helling (Ecolo-green) in his turn, reminded that there is a historic consensus on the issue and a political recognition is needed, as well.

Mr. Dallemagne (CDH) in his speech made a long historic review of the Genocide against the Armenian and the rest of minorities of the Ottoman Empire. He also reminded the fact that genocides are still going on today, 100 years after Armenians were butchered. Jan Penris (VB) called on the Turkish government to recognise the reality of the‪ Armenian Genocide; Olivier Maingain (FDF) said, that it’s time to be brave & recognise ‪ the crime of Genocide against Armenians, he also mentioned Jean Jaures, Orhan Pamuk, and Hrant Dink.

Marco Van Hees (PTB-GO) said that Turkish leftist, progressive parties recognize the ‪ ‎Armenian Genocide and believe this is the way forward. He also mentioned, that by doing so, Belgium will gain credibility. Dirk Van Der Maelen (sp.a) stressed the need to be precise and use the proper terminology and include all victims of ‪‎Genocides.

During the debate there were calls that this resolution will assist in the dialogue between Turks and Armenians as well as this resolution is in support to the progressive, democratic forces in Turkey. It was repeatedly said that this resolution is not against the current Turkish people, but against the Turkish state denial policy.

‘We welcome this resolution in the Chamber today, by which the Belgian state recognises the Armenian Genocide by its government and both chambers of the parliament’, said Mr. Kaspar Karampetian, president of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD). ‘On the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, we have seen more and more countries recognising the historic fact of the Genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey. This is another clear message to Turkey that Genocide denial has no place in Europe and Turkey needs to reconcile with its past sooner or later. This resolution of the Belgian Chamber will also put an end to the denial rhetoric in Belgium”, noted Karampetian, and concluded saying, that this resolution was also in part the result of well-coordinated efforts of the Republic of Armenia Embassy, the Armenian National Committee of Belgium, as well as the Committee of Armenians of Belgium and AGBU Europe.

#####

An overwhelming majority of historians as well as academics on Holocaust and Genocide Studies recognise the Armenian Genocide. As of today, the governments of 28 countries, including Russia, Brazil, France, Austria and Canada as well as 43 states of the USA have recognised the Genocide. The governments of Turkey and Azerbaijan continue to deny the Armenian Genocide.

On Tuesday, July 6, 2015, the Socialist International Council, meeting in the United Nations headquarters in New York, decided to take action regarding the issue of the Armenian Genocide.

SI Secretary General Luis Ayala informed the Council, that for the last two days the SI leadership has been consulting with the SI member parties from Armenia (ARF-Dashnaktsutyun) and Turkey (CHP, People’s Republican Party) to come to an agreement on the agenda item which was passed on from the last Council meeting in Geneva: “The views of the Socialist International on the issue of the Armenian Genocide, considering its recognition by a number of national parliaments and supranational institutions.”

Luis Ayala was glad to inform to the Council that an agreement has been reached and he thanked the SI vice-presidents from Armenia (Mario Nalpatian, ARF-D) and Turkey (Umut Oran, CHP) for their contributions to come to an agreement, which is presented to the Council for adoption.

The SI Secretary General said that on the occasion of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the Socialist International wants to take action and to organize a hearing or a round table discussion with the participation of member parties both from Turkey and Armenia as well as any other willing SI member party, as well as civil societies and intellectuals from both Armenia and Turkey on the following question: “Would Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide allow for genuine reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia?”

Luis Ayala went on to say that the conclusions of the discussion will be distributed worldwide and reported to the next Council of the Socialist International.

The SI Council unanimously adopted the decision.

After the adoption of the decision, Giro Manoyan, member of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Bureau made the following statement:

====

Dear Secretary General,
Dear comrades:

We welcome the inclusion of the issue of the Armenian Genocide on the agenda of this SI Council meeting.

We do not consider this issue to be a dispute on a historical event, although that is exactly what the official Turkish policy of denial would want us to believe.

The official Turkish policy of denial is part and parcel of a comprehensive hostile policy against Armenia and the Armenian people being implemented for over a century in Turkey and around the world through different actions, including the illegal land blockade against Armenia for the last 22 years.

I do not wish to go into the historical details of the Armenian Genocide, because there is ample evidence in the archives of not only the countries which were at war with Turkey during World War I, but also in the archives of Turkey’s major wartime ally Germany, and of course in the archives of Turkey itself, even after major clean-ups until the opening of those archives and regardless of the fact that the archives of the armed forces and of the registry of real estate, the cadastre, of that period are still not open.

I want to comment on why should the Socialist International adopt a pro-active position on this issue.

Because that would help in the democratization of Turkey. The international recognition of the Armenian Genocide by different countries and supranational organizations has helped progressive political forces, civil society circles and human rights advocates in Turkey to come to terms with their history by acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and seeking justice for this systematic campaign of destruction of millions of Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks and Pontians upon their historical homelands.

The Socialist International should adopt a position on this issue because a number of its member parties, particularly in countries which are NATO allies with Turkey, have adopted a position in favor of recognition of the Armenian Genocide and have done so as an expression of genuine friendship with Turkey to help it come to terms with its own history. Furthermore, the IUSY council and the bureau of the YES recently adopted resolutions on the issue.

Last but not least, the Socialist International should adopt a position on this issue because it has member parties in both Turkey and Armenia and can be helpful in fostering dialogue between them not on the veracity of the Armenian Genocide, but rather on trying to find a just resolution to the Armenian Genocide issue by helping the government of Turkey to stop its policy of denial of this historic fact and to acknowledge its responsibility. By doing so, the Socialist International would be instrumental in efforts for genuine reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia and the Armenian people worldwide in a spirit of truth, respect and justice.

I believe such international positive impact in Turkey on the issue of the Armenian Genocide is the main reason why three of the four main political parties represented in the Turkish parliament, decided to have at least one ethnic Armenian candidate on their lists and now all three of them have ethnic Armenian members of parliament, which is unprecedented during the Republic of Turkey’s history.

In order to be part of these positive developments, the Socialist International should adopt a progressive and pro-active position on the Armenian Genocide.

And the decision made today here is in that direction.

====

The meeting of the Council of the Socialist International began on Monday, July 5 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Council addressed matters central to the concerns of our movement and of the international community, including Security, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate change and the forthcoming COP21 summit that is taking place later this year.

The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun delegation was composed of Mario Nalpatian (ARF-D representative to the SI), Giro Manoyan, Aram Hovagimian and Nanore Barsoumian.

The Socialist International is the worldwide organization of social democratic, socialist and labor parties. It currently brings together 170 political parties and organizations from all continents. George Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece, is the President of the organization and Luis Ayala, from Chile, is the Secretary General.

In September 1996, the ARF-D rejoined the Socialist International, which it had originally joined in 1907. In 2003, the ARF-D became a full member of the Socialist International, thus becoming the only party in the CIS with such a status. During the XXIII Congress of the Socialist International, ARF-D representative Mario Nalpatian is vice-president of the organization. ARF-D Bureau member is co-chair of the SI Committee for the CIS, the Caucasus and the Black Sea. The ARF-D was recently accepted as observer member of the PES (Party of European Socialists).

The ARF-D Women’s Group is a member of the SIW (Socialist International Women). The youth organization of the ARF-D, the Armenian Youth Federation, is a full member of the IUSY (International Union of Socialist Youth) and the YES (Youth of European Socialists).

See photo album of the SI Council meeting in New York.

(EAFJD) Brussels, 10 June 2015: Plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg (France) adopted the 2014 Turkey progress report early today.

The report in general records a negative review on Human Rights situation in Turkey, freedom of expression, decline in democracy, worries on minority rights, aggressive attitude against Greece, and refusal over the existence of the Republic of Cyprus.

The report greets the wide participation at the elections of 7 June 2015 in Turkey, and the presence of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in the newly formed parliament. Moreover, the report welcomes the sheltering of 1,600,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey.

The preamble of the report mentions: ‘having in regard the European Parliament resolution on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide’. After Turkey becoming a candidate country to the EU in 2005, the reports stopped any mention of the Armenian Genocide. It should be noted, that in the above mentioned resolution there is the explicit call on Turkey to reconcile with its past and recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Article 49 repeats the call to Armenia and Turkey to establish diplomatic ties and open the border between the two countries without preconditions.

President of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) Kaspar Karampetian welcomed the call to Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide, as well as to open the border without preconditions. Karampetian stressed the fact, that the European Parliament once again showed, that it doesn’t succumb to Turkish pressure, recalling, the threats by Volkan Bozkir, EU Minister and chief negotiator of Turkey, that Turkey will not accept the report, if there will be any reference to the Armenian Genocide. Rapporteur Kati Piri (Socialists and Democrats, the Netherlands) already reacted, saying that the European Parliament can’t deny documents which have already been adopted.

The report, leaves Turkey’s accession to the EU open; a political process that is getting harder and harder over the years.

World Council of Churches
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Etchmiadzin, Armenia
8-13 June 2015
Doc. No. 27 rev

(oikoumene.org) During the centenary year of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire, the executive committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) is meeting in this country on 8-13 June 2015, hosted by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, to honour the martyrs and victims of the genocide. We visit the genocide memorial to remember them and to pray in the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. And we celebrate the life of the Armenian nation and the witness of the Armenian church.

The executive committee recalls the Minute on the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide adopted by the WCC 10th Assembly in 2013 in Busan. This important action by the 10th Assembly followed many other occasions on which the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) had called for recognition of the Armenian genocide by the United Nations (UN) and by member states, dating back to the 1979 session of the UN Human Rights Commission. The WCC has played a key role over many years in accompanying the Armenian church in speaking out and working for recognition of the genocide, and for appropriate responses to the genocide’s continuing impacts on the Armenian people.

A minute adopted at the 6th Assembly of the WCC held in 1983 in Vancouver acknowledged that “The silence of the world community and deliberate efforts to deny even historical facts have been consistent sources of anguish and growing despair to the Armenian people, the Armenian churches and many others.” While some continue their efforts to deny or minimize these historical events, the executive committee is greatly encouraged by His Holiness Pope Francis’ public recognition on 12 April 2015 of the mass killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. We stress that there is a duty on the international community to remember the victims of genocide, in order to heal these historical wounds and to guard against similar atrocities in the future.

The WCC, with its many member churches, has participated in several events marking the centenary, including the official commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and canonization of the martyrs in Yerevan, Armenia, on 21-25 April. The WCC and its member churches will continue to participate in the ongoing centennial commemorations this year by the Armenian diaspora, including with the Armenian Church Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon, on 18-19 July. The Executive Committee thanks the many member churches and ecumenical partners around the world that have observed or will observe this ongoing centenary in their own contexts, and that have spoken in recognition of the genocide and in commemoration of its victims. Through these commemorations, we acknowledge that these tragic events occurred, and that they must be named by their right name.

The Armenian genocide was accompanied in the same historical and political context by genocidal acts against other – mostly Christian – communities of Aramean, Chaldean, Syrian, Assyrian and Greek descent, which have blighted history at the beginning of the 20th century.

Denial, impunity and the failure to remember such events encourage their repetition. Those who deny or attack the life and dignity of a sister or brother undermine and destroy the humanity of both the victim and themselves. These centennial commemorations should mark the passing of the time when governments remain reluctant to name what occurred one hundred years ago as genocide. We urge all governments to abandon this reluctance.

In this centenary year, we call the international community, the WCC’s member churches and all people of faith and good will to remembrance, and to re-commit to the prevention of genocide and all crimes against humanity.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)

(prensaarmenia.com.ar) The Federal Senate of Brazil approved on June 2 a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The Resolution No. 550/2015 was introduced by Senators Aloizio Nunes Fereira Filio and Jose Serra.

The resolution expresses its “solidarity with the Armenian people during the course of the centenary of the campaign of extermination of its population” and states that “the Senate recognizes the Armenian Genocide, whose centenary was celebrated on April 24, 2015.”

Aloizio Nunes Fereira Filio stressed the need for Turkey to recognize the genocide and to establish a productive dialogue with Armenia. “But that also means respect for life, respect for diversity and commitment that this will never happen again,” said the Senator.

“The transcendental statement of the plenary of the Senate is the most important in the history of the Armenian Cause in Brazil,” said James Onnig Tamdjian, Director of Politics and International Relations of the Armenian National Committee of Brazil, to Prensa Armenia. “It is an important sign that all political parties have joined and offered their solidarity in the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide,” he added.

“To honor the victims and recognize the contribution to economic, social and cultural formation of Brazil of the thousands of Brazilians descendants of Armenian refugees, we emphasize that no genocide must not be forgotten so that it does not happen again,” reads the text.

The resolution highlights the “need for a racial cleansing to make Turkey, then multiracial, a uniformly Turkish nation.” In addition, it denounces the “systematic denial, pressure and intimidation against those who try to reconstruct historical events”.

“The policy of extermination is so far denied by the Turkish government,” reads the resolution, and then cites the cases of recognition from “a growing number of countries,” including “Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela” in Latin America, as well as “most European countries,” the European Parliament and, more recently, Germany and Pope Francis.

“It is estimated that at least 100,000 descendants of Armenians live in Brazil, mostly in Sao Paulo. They are Brazilians whose ancestors had to leave their homeland to escape the genocide. In Brazilian lands they could restart their lives, build families and contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of our country.”

“The Brazilian government, unfortunately, has not yet recognized the Armenian Genocide,” although the legislatures of Ceará and Parana did. “In 2015, the State of Sao Paulo instituted April 24 as the Day of Recognition and Remembrance of Victims of the Genocide of the Armenian people,” concludes the resolution.