|
Turkish, Kurdish members of German anti-genocide group visit Armenia
YEREVAN
[Presenter] A Turkish and Kurdish organization called Association Against Genocide was established three years ago in Frankfurt. Five members of this organization who are visiting Armenia today paid tribute to the victims of the genocide committed by the Turks 86 years ago. Interviewed by "Aylur" at Tsitsernakaberd [Yerevan memorial to genocide victims], Turkish scientist Ali Ertem, who lives in Germany, said that recognition of the genocide was very important above all for the Turks, so that the new generation could condemn the crimes of past generations.
[Reporter] This is already the third time that Turkish and Kurdish members of Germany's Association Against Genocide have visited Yerevan on 24 April. Today they laid flowers at the monument to the genocide victims.
[Ali Ertem] Denial of the 1915 genocide is the greatest obstacle to Armenian-Turkish relations and Turkey's economic development. Our organization has already collected the signatures of 11,000 Turks living in Germany on a petition calling for the recognition of the Armenian genocide. A week ago our organization got together with an Armenian organization and several other organizations in Germany and tried to put the recognition of the Armenian genocide on the German parliament's agenda. I can say that Armenians are not alone today concerning international recognition of the genocide. We shall be persistent in resolving this issue.
[Fall Demir], representative of the Kurdish community in Germany] The
Armenian genocide is one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century. Failure
to condemn it was one of the reasons for the Jewish Holocaust and Hitler's
actions in World War II.
Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News Archives