Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Euro MPs push Turkey to recognize Armenian 'Genocide'
by Robert MacPherson - Agence France-Presse - Nov 15, 2000
Posted: Thursday, November 16, 2000 00:37 am CST

STRASBOURG, Nov 15 (AFP) - The European Parliament called on Turkey Wednesday to publicly recognize the 1915-17 "genocide" of Armenians during World War I and to withdraw "its occupation forces" from Cyprus.

Both statements were contained in a resolution that supported Turkey's bid to join the European Union, on condition that Ankara takes more vigorous steps towards greater democracy and human rights.

In its original form, the resolution -- drafted by French centrist Euro MP Philippe Morillon for parliament's foreign affairs committee - - avoided using the word "genocide" with regards to the Armenians.

But by a 234-213 vote, with 93 abstentions, deputies adopted an amendment that called upon the Turkish government and Turkish Grand National Assembly "to give fresh support to the Armenian minority, as an important part of Turkish society, in particular by public recognition the genocide which that minority suffered before the establishment of the modern state of Turkey."

Armenia claims that 1.5 million Armenians killed between 1915 and 1917 was an act of genocide. Turkey at the time was the core of the waning Ottoman Empire, fighting with Germany against the western Allies.

The European Parliament also approved a line that was part of Morillon's original draft resolution, calling upon the Turkish government "to withdraw its occupation forces from northern Cyprus."

Cyprus is currently in negotiations to join the European Union in the next few years, but remains divided into northern Turkish and southern ethnic Greek sectors.

The complete, amended resolution on Turkey was adopted by a vote of 429-24, with 78 absentions.

Like a European Commission report last Wednesday on the state of its EU candidacy, Morillon's report said Turkey had yet to meet certain criteria for accession talks with Brussels to begin.

Those criteria call for a candidate state to adopt democratic principles, respect for minority groups, and a free-market economy that can compete within the EU context.

"A climate of mutual trust should be created between Turkey and the European Union so that Turkey does not perceive the union as an 'exclusively Christian club'," parliament's resolution stated.

Voting against the overall resolution was the French far-right National Front, which unsuccessfully put forth an amendment declaring that Turkish EU membership "would cause significant harm" to Turks and Europeans alike.

Deputies from Austria's Freedom Party, however, supported the final amended resolution.

French Green Euro MP Daniel Cohn-Bendit, who chairs an EU-Turkey inter-parliamentary group, had pushed for language that would encourage Turks themselves to debate the Armenian episode, one of the dark chapters of their Ottoman past.

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