Category: News

Impunity legitimizes violence and encourages future crimes. Our world faces constant dehumanization of the human nature, constant threat to human life, manmade catastrophes and atrocities of various type. The world is often silent on this, justifying its silence by the inutility of any attempt to change anything. We, the Young European Socialists, view silence as a form of negative contribution with regard to crimes against humanity. We believe that crimes such as the Armenian Genocide should never be forgotten and must always stay actual as a reminder to all of us that we, humans, are capable of committing the most inhuman acts. The Armenian Genocide must serve an example of what a world must try to avoid by all means. During 1915 -1923 more than 1 500 000 Armenians were brutally massacred in their ancestral lands what is largely known as Eastern Turkey today. More than 300 000 women and young girls were forced to convert and change their identity. Hundreds of thousands of children were kidnapped. The small number of Armenians who survived were spread all over the world. An ancient civilization was destroyed, its property stolen and confiscated, its heritage destructed. Anti Armenian sentiments are not over even today in the modern Republic of Turkey. The destruction of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Turkey is still in process.
YES believes genocide is the ultimate crime committed against humanity and should be punished regardless of when it happened.
With regard to the abovementioned, the YES is hence coming with a resolution on the Armenian Genocide as the world commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first Genocide of the 20th century.
• YES stands in solidarity with the Armenian nation as the Armenian people worldwide commemorate the centennial of the Armenian Genocide committed by various regimes in Turkey between 1915-1923.
• YES strongly condemns the denial of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish government as denial is the ultimate stage of the crime of genocide.
• YES supports the Armenian people’s struggle for the recognition and reparation of the Armenian Genocide and encourages Turkey to start an immediate process of eliminating the consequences of the Armenian Genocide and initiate a process of restoration of the rights of the Armenian people. The latter will bring positive changes both to the Republic of Turkey and its people as well as will contribute to the democratization of the country and its society. The just resolution of the Armenian Genocide is the only reliable path to reconciliation of the two countries and nations.
• YES welcomes all initiatives by member organizations aimed at educating people on the Armenian Genocide and spreading its knowledge, since we cannot change the future if we do not know the past, and changing the future is a core belief of any true struggle for democracy and socialist values.
• YES will actively work for a recognition of the Armenian Genocide within PES and demand that S&D Group works for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the European Parliament.

(horizonweekly.ca) The Spanish city of Santa Margarida has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, Press Service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The decision of the City Council reads, in part:

“Considering that some governments, including those of Turkey and Spain, do not acknowledge the Armenian Genocide,

Considering that the crimes against humanity have no statute of limitation,

Taking into consideration that the Armenian the Armenian people have not received any economic, territorial or humanitarian reimbursement,

Taking into consideration that the Armenian Genocide is a precedent for the Holocaust, the genocides in Rwanda and the Balkans,

The City Hall decides to support the genocide recognition and reimbursement, to demand from the Spanish Government to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and organize the passage of this decision to international structures.”

(asbarez.com) BRUSSELS—The 10th Congress of the Youth of the European People’s Party (YEPP) adopted a Resolution recognizing and condemning the genocides of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians.

In the Resolution the YEPP calls on the member states of the European Union and the Council of Europe, as well as the international organizations to recognize and restore the historic justice in memory of the victims of the genocides of Armenians, Pontic Greeks and Assyrians.

“All interested parties recognize the genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians, and accept April 24 and May 19 as the Days of Remembrance of the Armenian and Greek Genocides,” the document reads.

The 10th Congress of the Youth of the European People’s Party was attended by more than 250 young leaders from more than 40 countries, including the Youth Organization of the Republican Party of Armenia headed by its President Karen Avagyan.

The Resolution submitted by the Greek party was adopted unanimously and was backed by delegates of the countries that have not yet recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Global realities and challenges were in the spotlight of the YEPP Congress held under the slogan “A stronger Europe in a Changing World.

YEPP is the largest youth organization in Europe, which brings together more than 1.6 million young people from 57 political parties representing 40 countries.

(horizonweekly.ca) OTTAWA (May 13, 2015) – The Canadian Senate reaffirmed today its recognition of the Armenian Genocide by reiterating support for Motion 44, first approved in June 2002.

“By formally recognizing the Armenian genocide, Canada lives up to the principles that we have promoted throughout the world. Any country that desires to suppress its past, any country that does not confront its past head on, seriously risks a failure to liberate itself from its own history” stated Sen. Thanh Hai Ngo in his declaration.

On the heels of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide he added that “this heinous crime remains unanswered, since Turkey refuses to recognise it. The Senate of Canada has not been indifferent to the atrocities committed during the Armenian genocide. We have to promote justice, human rights, tolerance, and peaceful co-existence between nations because it is the right thing to do. It is my honor to speak before this Chamber on the Centennial Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and to reaffirm our strong commitment towards Motion 44, as passed in June 2002.”

Speaker of the Senate, Honourable Leo Housakos marked the solemn occasion of the Armenian Genocide and greeted the Ambassador of Armenia Mr. Armen Yeganian and members of the Armenian Community sitting in the Gallery, at the opening of the session. Other Senators joined their colleagues reaffirming the Upper Chamber’s commitment towards human rights, international justice and peace.

The reaffirmation of this historic motion was realized through the collective effort of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee of Canada.

(anc.org.au) SYDNEY: Willoughby City Council, in Sydney’s North Shore, has passed a motion recognising the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia).

On Monday 11th May 2015, Willoughby City Council – the municipality that is home to many thousands of Sydney-Armenians, as well as to Armenian churches and community centres – considered the motion, which reads: “Willoughby City Council recognises the genocide of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrians peoples by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922 and condemns these and all other acts of genocide and crimes against humanity as the ultimate act of intolerance”.

The motion was introduced in what is the Armenian Genocide’s Centenary year by long-standing friend of the Armenian-Australian community, Councillor John Hooper, and was seconded by Councillor Judith Rutherford. It passed unanimously, making Willoughby City Council the second Australian local government to recognise the Armenian Genocide after Ryde City Council.

ANC Australia’s executive director, Vache Kahramanian, addressed the Council meeting to speak in favour of the motion and on the importance of Armenian genocide recognition as a mechanism to prevent future instances of genocide being perpetrated.

Upon passage of the motion, Kahramanian remarked: “I thank Councillor Hooper and Willoughby City’s Councillors for adding their formal recognition of the Armenian genocide. Such motions send the clearest signal that genocide denial has no place in the twenty first century.”

“There is a national movement in Australia towards recognition which will ultimately lead to the Commonwealth Parliament also affirming the historical reality of the Armenian genocide,” Kahramanian added.

The motion adopted by Willoughby City Council comes only weeks after Ryde City Council reaffirmed its long standing position on the Armenian genocide.

The text of the Willoughby City Council motion reads:

That:

Willoughby City Council recognises the genocide of the Armenian, Greek and Assyrians peoples by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922 and condemns these and all other acts of genocide and crimes against humanity as the ultimate act of intolerance.Z
Willoughby City Council endorses the resolution of the NSW Parliament on 17 April 1997 that it:
recognises and condemns the Genocide of the Armenians by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922, and designated 24 April of every year thereafter as a day of remembrance of the 1.5 million Armenians who fell victim to the first genocide of the twentieth century;
recognises that Assyrians and Greeks were subjected to qualitatively similar genocides by the then Ottoman Government between 1915 and 1922;
reaffirms its condemnation of the genocide of the Assyrians, Armenians and Greeks, and all other acts of genocide as the ultimate act of intolerance;
recognises the importance of remembering and learning from such dark chapters in human history to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not allowed to be repeated;
acknowledges and pays tribute to the contribution of the Anzac servicemen who aided the survivors of the genocide; and
acknowledges the significant humanitarian relief contribution made by the people of New South Wales to the victims and survivors of the genocide.

(armenianweekly.com) YEREVAN — The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) World Council unanimously passed a resolution on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, condemning the denial of the genocide and demanding justice for the crime. The World Council, which took place in Yerevan and was hosted by the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) of Armenia, adopted the resolution on May 9.

The resolution, which was proposed collectively by the AYF regions represented, states that IUSY supports the “Armenian people’s struggle for the recognition and reparation of the Armenian Genocide by calling upon Turkey to start an immediate process of eliminating the consequences of the Armenian Genocide and initiate a process of restoring the rights of the Armenian people.” It also notes that “IUSY believes this is the only reliable road to reconciliation of the two countries and nations.”

“The fact that the resolution was unanimously passed speaks measures,” said Nairi Khachatourian, who is in Yerevan representing AYF Eastern United States. “IUSY is sending a strong message to Turkey that true reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey can only be built upon recognition, reparations, and real justice.”

Titled, “An Equal World Is Possible,” the IUSY World Council includes participants from 60 countries, with over 160 delegates representing various socialist youth organizations, in addition to over two dozen AYF representatives from Armenia, Artsakh, and the Diaspora.

Earlier that day, participants of the council paid their respects to the 1.5 million victims of the genocide at the Armenian Genocide Memorial at Dzidernagapert.

Below is the text of the resolution:

***

PROPOSAL BY THE ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION (AYF)

Resolution on the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY), being a faithful follower of the principles of justice, democracy, equality, and human rights, reaffirms its position on the Armenian Genocide as the world commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first Genocide of the 20th century.

The Armenian Genocide opened a whole new circle of genocides that were encouraged by the impunity of the perpetrators of the first genocide as well as inspired by its techniques and genocidal methods.

Genocide is a crime under international law contrary to the spirit and aims of the IUSY. This is why:

IUSY condemns the genocide against the Armenian people which was planned and carried out by the Ottoman Empire and various regimes in Turkey in 1915-23. During these years more than 1.5 million Armenians, living in their ancestral homeland (what is largely known as Eastern Turkey today), were brutally exterminated; their heritage was confiscated and largely destructed. The small number of Armenians who survived was spread all over the world.

IUSY strongly condemns the denial of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish government as well as all the attempts of the Republic of Turkey to mute and bribe every initiative that is aimed at the recognition and reparation of the Armenian Genocide. IUSY believes that the denial of the genocide is a double crime that ought to be punished and has nothing in common with the right of freedom of expression.

IUSY supports the Armenian Youth Federation’s (AYF) and the Armenian people’s struggle for the recognition and reparation of the Armenian Genocide by calling upon Turkey to start an immediate process of eliminating the consequences of the Armenian Genocide and initiate a process of restoration of the rights of the Armenian people. IUSY believes this is the only reliable road to reconciliation of the two countries and nations.

IUSY sees education as one of the most vital and constructive ways of fighting any form of extremism. With this, we call upon our member organizations to spread the knowledge of the Armenian Genocide, because only by knowing and condemning past genocides can we prevent new ones from taking place.

Luxembourg Wort – (CS/CBu) The Luxembourg parliament on Wednesday unanimously voted to officially recognise the Armenian 195 – 1918 killings during the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

The CSV had introduced the motion in parliament.

The vote came despite protest from the Turkish community in Luxembourg which warned of an oversimplification of facts, adding that it was not up to politicians but to historians to decide the implications of the mass killings during WW1.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn commented that Luxembourg with Wednesday’s decision was sending a clear signal. “We bow our heads to the dreadful suffering of the Armenian people,” he said.

However, Asselborn also commented that the recognition of the killings as genocide was not a “hostile act” towards Turkey, but a call for reconciliation between the two countries.

The text of the resolution can be find here.

(horizonweekly.com) Toronto City Council voted today, on Motion MM6.7 which reads: “City Council recognizes the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide to honour the memory of the men, women and children who died.”

The motion was brought forward by Councillor Jim Karygiannis (Ward 39) and, through strong support from longtime friends of the Armenian community, achieved the two-thirds majority required for a procedural motion to avoid being referred to the Executive Committee. At that point, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7), who was the recipient of a fundraising campaign during the 2014 municipal election by deniers of the Armenian Genocide, put a hold on the item to prevent it from going straight to a vote. The item was brought up later in the Council meeting where Councillor John Campbell (Ward 4) tried to kibosh the motion by moving “receipt” instead of adopting the recommendation. The attempt failed and the motion ultimately passed 26-4 with Councillors Campbell, Mammoliti, Berardinetti (Ward 35), and Shiner (Ward 24) voting against.

The motion reads:

(armenianorthodoxchurch.org) On Tuesday 28 April 2015, the attorney of the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Turkey submitted a brief to the Constitutional Court in Turkey, requesting the return of its Centre in Sis (Kozan).

Convinced that recognition of the Genocide and compensation should go together, His Holiness Aram I, on the year of the 100th anniversary commemoration of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, has filed a lawsuit at the Turkish Constitutional Court for the return of the Spiritual Centre of the Catholicosate in Sis. In initiating this effort, His Holiness is setting a precedent for the descendants of the martyrs to reclaim their family belongings.

Since 2012, His Holiness Aram I has presided over a committee of Turkish and international human rights lawyers, preparing the current litigation. The committee will explain the lawsuit through two press conferences. The first will be held on Wednesday 29 April in Washington DC and the second soon after in Geneva.

The Catholicosate of Cilicia settled in Sis, the former capital of the Cilician Kindgom, in1295, after moving from several places due to the political uncertainties in the region. In 1921, following the 1915 Genocide, the Ottoman authorities ordered Catholicos Sahak II Khabayan and the clergy to vacate the location within two days. The Catholicos and the clergy left the monastery in Sis, taking with them very few objects, such as the basin pot for the preparation of the holy muron, some manuscripts and liturgical items. After moving between Jerusalem, Aleppo, Damascus and Cyprus, in 1930 the Catholicosate settled in Antelias.

Secretariat of the Catholicosate of Cilicia

Catholicosate of Ciclicia Leaders and Lawyers Outline Lawsuit Seeking Turkey’s Return of Historic Christian Site‏‏

WASHINGTON, DC – Leaders and lawyers representing the Catholicosate of Cilicia held a press conference earlier on April 29, 2015 at the National Press Club to discuss their lawsuit against the Turkish Government seeking the return of the historic seat of the Catholicosate, located in Sis (currently Kozan), one-time capital of Cilician Armenia, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The press conference featured remarks by Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Eastern United States; Teny Pirri-Simonian, Senior Advisor to the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia; Payam Akhavan, former UN prosecutor at The Hague and lead international counsel in this case, and; Cem Sofuoglu, Turkish human rights lawyer and local counsel. They were joined by ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, who shared the Armenian American community’s support for the just legal claims of the Armenian Church and, more broadly, spoke to the efforts of Armenians worldwide to secure international justice for the Armenian Genocide.

In his remarks, Archbishop Choloyan reviewed the spiritual history of the Sis Catholicosate, noting the central role it played in Armenian religious life until the Armenian Genocide of 1915. “We are,” said the Archbishop, “asking for the return of our land in order to worship there – as we did for a 1000 years. I know that the land is ours. I know that the land recognizes her master.”

In her comments, Pirri-Simonian reviewed the history of this legal case, highlighting the leadership of His Holiness Aram I in convening conferences and consulting with international legal experts to prepare a compelling legal case for the return of the Sis Catholicosate. She underscored His Holiness Aram I’s commitment to convey “more than memory” to coming generations, by securing – in very concrete ways – the return of the Armenian nation’s spiritual heritage.

Lead attorney Akhavan emphasized that: “This case really is about translating the demand for justice into a very concrete case – and that case is the return to the Catholicosate of the Holy See of Cilicia of its historical seat in present day Kozan.” He added that: “It is a concrete demand for the return of property based on the rights of the Catholicosate, the legal personality of which was never extinguished, and it is about the right of religious worship. As someone who is not Armenian but who stands in solidarity with the struggle of the Armenians for justice, this is a remarkable story of hope; it is a remarkable story of the resilience of the human spirit 100 years after these abominable acts that there is still the hope to return.”

Akhavan explained that: “From 1915 onward, Turkey adopted a series of laws on abandoned properties – and of course, abandoned properties is a euphemism used to confiscate the properties of millions of Armenians that once were inhabitants of Ottoman Turkey. Under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the Republic of Turkey undertook under international law to respect the rights of what was termed, under the treaty, non-Muslim minorities.” He added that: “The laws on abandoned properties were designed to deny the Armenians the right to reclaim their properties. In addition, given the tremendous religious significance of this property, the denial of the property rights in this relation also implicates the right of Turkey’s Christian minority, in this case the extended minority that exists in much smaller numbers in Turkey, to freely worship.” Commenting on the legal prospects of the case, Akhavan voiced his “sincere hope that this case will succeed before the Turkish Constitutional Court, failing which the Catholicosate has announced its intention to appeal any adverse judgment to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.”

Local counsel Sofuoglu pointed out the ground-breaking nature of the case, noting that: “The case I filed on Monday is the first property case of this nature – the returning of religious properties to their original owners.” He also fielded questions from the press about the legal details of the case in the context of Turkey’s legal system.

Hamparian noted that the Armenian Church’s case is a strong one that will prevail on its own merits, while also sharing insights regarding the broader meaning of efforts to secure the rightful return of Armenian religious properties: “The restoration of the Catholicosate of Sis would,” he stressed, “represent an act of justice, a first step toward the legal return of the Armenian Church and its faithful to their lawful place in their rightful homeland. It would, as well, mark a meaningful milestone in the Armenian nation’s journey toward a just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.”

In a statement distributed to the press, Hamparian wrote: “The Armenian Genocide is an international crime, perpetrated by a state against an entire nation. The ongoing consequences of this crime – territorial, demographic, economic, geopolitical, cultural, and otherwise – threaten the modern-day security of the Armenian homeland and the viability of the Armenian nation. A truthful and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide – should, of course, address individual and community claims, including those of the church. But, more broadly, a comprehensive settlement of this crime must be international in scope and national in character, providing for the long-term security of the Armenian homeland and the enduring survival of the Armenian nation.”

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) welcomed the case, noting, “I applaud the lawsuit filed in Turkish court to regain ownership of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilcia which was confiscated during the Armenian Genocide. This ancient and sacred site must be returned to its rightful owners nearly a century after it was pillaged by the Ottoman Empire. Armenians are right to pursue all legal avenues to obtain justice and to seek the return of what is rightfully theirs.”

The Catholicosate’s St. Sophia church and monastery, and their surrounding lands, are located in the city of Kozan, in the Adana Province of the present-day Republic of Turkey. This headquarters, a center of Armenian religious life for more than seven centuries, was illegally stolen by the Turkish Government during the Armenian Genocide.

Click here to learn more about the historic significance of the Catholicosate of Cilicia headquarters in Sis.

Project for Decision Recognizing the Mass Extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 1915 – 1922

The extermination of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 – 1922 was identified with definite historical facts and authentic documents.

According to the humane traditions of the Bulgarian people and the obligations under the UN documents ratification, Bulgaria distinguishes the historical heritage of the Ottoman Empire and the heritage of the Republic of Turkey and welcomes the dialogue between Turkey and Armenia for a final commitment to historical truth.
The National Assembly pursuant to Article 86 para. 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria

DECIDED:
It recognizes the mass extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and declares April 24 a Day of Remembrance of its victims.’