Armenians mark anniversary of 1915 genocide
April 24, 2007
Middle East Times
Mariam Harutunian
AFP
Amid heavy snowfall, thousands climbed to a hilltop memorial for the victims in the Armenian capital Yerevan.
Flowers were laid at the foot of the memorial, where an eternal flame has burned since its construction in 1965, when Armenia was part of the Soviet Union.
Officials including President Robert Kocharian were among those paying tribute.
"The memory of this evil deed will always remain in our souls," Kocharian said in a statement.
"The international community has realized that genocide is not only a crime against a distinct people, but against all mankind and that the denial and concealment of such a crime is as dangerous as its preparation and execution."
Many from Armenia's widespread diaspora descend on Yerevan every year for the annual ceremony.
Among them this year was American filmmaker Karla Garapedian, whose recently released documentary, Screamers, examines the efforts of US-based rock band System of a Down to have the killings recognized as a genocide.
The band's members are all grandchildren of survivors of the massacres.
"We will speak the truth about our own history, about what happened to Armenians," Garapedian said. "I know that Turkey wants to join the EU. They have to apologize, to say: 'We made a great mistake and we are sorry.'"
Hrant Gazarian, 24, arrived from Turkey and said he would lay a flower at the memorial this year in honor of Hrant Dink, the Turkish-Armenian journalist killed in Turkey in January after being branded a traitor by nationalists for urging an open debate on the 1915 killings.
Eleven suspects have been charged in Dink's murder.
"Unfortunately, this time I am laying one more flower at the eternal flame for Hrant Dink," Gazarian said.
"It has already been 100 days and those behind his murder have still not been found and punished ... Turkey must recognize the genocide so that there will not be more victims like Dink."
Armenians say up to 1.5 million died in orchestrated killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey strongly rejects claims of a genocide, saying that 300,000 Armenians and at least an equal number of Turks were killed in civil strife during 1915 to 1917 when the Christian Armenians, backed by Russia, rose up against the Ottoman Empire.
The dispute has been a major obstacle in relations between Turkey and Armenia, which have no diplomatic ties and whose border has remained closed for more than a decade.
It has also complicated relations between EU-aspirant Turkey and many Western countries, especially those with large ethnic Armenian communities.
More than 20 countries have officially recognized the killings as a genocide, including Belgium, Canada, Poland, Russia, and Switzerland.
But many, including Britain and the United States, refuse to use the term to describe the events, mindful of relations with Turkey.
In March, the Israeli parliament rejected a motion recognizing the killings as a genocide. Israel has close diplomatic ties with Turkey, one of the few Muslim countries with which it has relations.
Turkey froze bilateral military ties with France in November after French lawmakers voted to make it a criminal offense to deny that Armenians were victims of a genocide.
A resolution is pending in the US Congress to recognize the killings as a genocide, but a vote on the bill has not yet been scheduled amid intense lobbying against it from the White House and Turkey.
The US ambassador to Yerevan, John Evans, was recalled last year after he used the term "genocide" in a speech to Armenian Americans.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Middle East Times
Mariam Harutunian
AFP
"We will speak the truth about our own history, about what happened to Armenians," Garapedian said. "I know that Turkey wants to join the EU. They have to apologize, to say: 'We made a great mistake and we are sorry.'"
YEREVAN -- Armenians Tuesday marked the 92nd anniversary of the killing of more than 1 million of their compatriots under the Ottoman Empire, an event recognized as genocide by many countries, but a flashpoint in relations between Turkey and the West.Amid heavy snowfall, thousands climbed to a hilltop memorial for the victims in the Armenian capital Yerevan.
Flowers were laid at the foot of the memorial, where an eternal flame has burned since its construction in 1965, when Armenia was part of the Soviet Union.
Officials including President Robert Kocharian were among those paying tribute.
"The memory of this evil deed will always remain in our souls," Kocharian said in a statement.
"The international community has realized that genocide is not only a crime against a distinct people, but against all mankind and that the denial and concealment of such a crime is as dangerous as its preparation and execution."
Many from Armenia's widespread diaspora descend on Yerevan every year for the annual ceremony.
Among them this year was American filmmaker Karla Garapedian, whose recently released documentary, Screamers, examines the efforts of US-based rock band System of a Down to have the killings recognized as a genocide.
The band's members are all grandchildren of survivors of the massacres.
"We will speak the truth about our own history, about what happened to Armenians," Garapedian said. "I know that Turkey wants to join the EU. They have to apologize, to say: 'We made a great mistake and we are sorry.'"
Hrant Gazarian, 24, arrived from Turkey and said he would lay a flower at the memorial this year in honor of Hrant Dink, the Turkish-Armenian journalist killed in Turkey in January after being branded a traitor by nationalists for urging an open debate on the 1915 killings.
Eleven suspects have been charged in Dink's murder.
"Unfortunately, this time I am laying one more flower at the eternal flame for Hrant Dink," Gazarian said.
"It has already been 100 days and those behind his murder have still not been found and punished ... Turkey must recognize the genocide so that there will not be more victims like Dink."
Armenians say up to 1.5 million died in orchestrated killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey strongly rejects claims of a genocide, saying that 300,000 Armenians and at least an equal number of Turks were killed in civil strife during 1915 to 1917 when the Christian Armenians, backed by Russia, rose up against the Ottoman Empire.
The dispute has been a major obstacle in relations between Turkey and Armenia, which have no diplomatic ties and whose border has remained closed for more than a decade.
It has also complicated relations between EU-aspirant Turkey and many Western countries, especially those with large ethnic Armenian communities.
More than 20 countries have officially recognized the killings as a genocide, including Belgium, Canada, Poland, Russia, and Switzerland.
But many, including Britain and the United States, refuse to use the term to describe the events, mindful of relations with Turkey.
In March, the Israeli parliament rejected a motion recognizing the killings as a genocide. Israel has close diplomatic ties with Turkey, one of the few Muslim countries with which it has relations.
Turkey froze bilateral military ties with France in November after French lawmakers voted to make it a criminal offense to deny that Armenians were victims of a genocide.
A resolution is pending in the US Congress to recognize the killings as a genocide, but a vote on the bill has not yet been scheduled amid intense lobbying against it from the White House and Turkey.
The US ambassador to Yerevan, John Evans, was recalled last year after he used the term "genocide" in a speech to Armenian Americans.
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Labels: Armenian Genocide Remembrance
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