Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Chairman of German-Turkish Association Opposed to Genocide: `The suffering of the Armenian Community in the Netherlands is inhuman'
by Eugene Brussee - Katholiek Nieuwsblad [ -- Catholic Newspaper] - November 17, 2000
Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2000 00:04 am CST

THE HAGUE

Translated from Dutch exclusively for ANN/Groong

After a year of on-going tug of war, it seems the monument in Assen to commemorate the genocide of Armenians between 1915-1920 may not be going through. At the same time a sizable group of Turks from Germany is in favor of the erection of the memorial stone. But the Dutch politicians remain deaf, and once again, let the Armenians down.

An independent Advisory Committee for Objection and Appeals has advised the Assen Municipality to revoke earlier permission given to Mr. Romashuk for the erection of memorial stone to commemorate perished ancestors in the years of 1910-1920. The applicant of the stone, Mr. Romasuk, who is of Armenian origin, is giving this a nation-wide character, rather than a personal or private commemoration of his ancestors. This is contrary to the wishes of the Municipality.

Turkish Support

The story around the memorial stone is now becoming very strange, as a group of Turks in Germany have made a plea in favor of the erection of the monument. The Turkish Association Against Genocide, comprising of more than 10000 members, has sent a petition to the Dutch Parliament in the Hague asking for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a historical fact. Expressing their positive attitude on the memorial stone in Assen, they are labeling the opponents of the stone as Turkish fanatics, and asking the Municipality not to change its position. "It is a pity that the monument is under discussion again. It is a psychological terror exerted on the Armenian community in the Netherlands." says Ali Ertem, the chairman of the Association."This is inhuman."

It is a remarkable situation that while the Dutch authorities do not wish to comment about the genocide, nota bene, the Turks, whose ancestors perpetuated the genocide, are asking the Dutch Government for recognition of the Genocide. The petition is affirmed by a politician from the Hague as, "received as a notice". This means that no follow-up action will be taken.

Independent Sources

The Turkish Association Against Genocide expresses its desire in the petition to clean up their past. A similar petition had been sent to Turkish Parliament but it has been rejected. The text of that petition reads "As Turks it is bad for our conscience that these people (Armenians) were left to their fate for 85 years. Therefore we feel morally obliged to end their disillusion and agony. Therefore we ask national and international condemnation of crimes committed against Armenians, Assyrian and Pontian-Greeks.

Access to independent primary sources convinced them that there has indeed been a genocide perpetrated at the time of the Young Turk regime. Mr. Ertem: "What we learned at school is a forgery of history. We learned that we Turks are one nation and one folk, almost a National-Socialistic herald. In the beginning of the 20th century two million Armenians lived in our land. Where are they now?"

Denial

The Turkish Government keeps the line of willful denial. Turkey promptly condemned the recent recognition of the Genocide in the French Senate and rejected as "wrong".

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