European Armenians urge Obama to recognize the Genocide
Ararat News –Publishing (ANP) – Anahit Khatchikian – 19 / 4 / 2008 / Brussels – In a powerful statement, issued on January 20th 2008, Senator Obama voiced his strong support for passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution currently before Congress, and pledged that, as President, he will recognize the Armenian Genocide.Now nearly 400 European-Armenian organisations from 22 countries submitted to the White House petition urging the president of the United States to keep his promise.
The letter launched by the European Armenian Federation was given to the President Obama just one day before his trip to Turkey. The question of the recognition of the Genocide is particularly sensitive for the Armenian Diaspora. Nevertheless, it doesn’t compromise the positive intentions of Armenia for establishment of good relations with its neighbouring countries Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The initiative of the European Armenians comes in the context of high expectation for political change of the traditional line of USA to avoid the word “genocide” related to the massacres of the Armenians in 1915. Armenian Diaspora is expecting the speech of President Barack Obama on April 24th, the commemorative day of the Armenian Genocide, when the US President expresses each year the United States’ remembrance for the victims of this genocide. Contrary to his recent predecessors who used euphemisms to describe the planned extermination of the Armenians by the Turkish State, president Obama stated on several occasions "as president of the United States, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide."
In the letter signed by Armenian organisations from whole Europe, the Federation reminds the President that "European Armenians as well as the large democratic mainstream of Europe's civil society will continue to strongly oppose Turkey's membership in the EU for as long as the Turkish state denies the Armenian Genocide, promotes racism and pursues a policy of discrimination towards its minorities." The Federation further notes that "the commitment that President Obama made to recognise the genocide will unleash the momentum of true change and democratization inside Turkey" and that it "will also provide an unprecedented momentum to the process of dialogue between Turkey and Armenia" by clearly stating "that denial of this crime against humanity will no longer be supported and that the way forward will definitely require of Turkey a fundamental commitment to just peace."
The European Armenian Federation concludes the letter by reminding that "any retreat by the United States at this defining moment would be interpreted by genocide-perpetrating governments as full license to continue their bloody acts and criminal complicities, as witnessed in Turkey's recent support for the Sudanese president who is under an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court".
"President Obama has the opportunity to demonstrate a real political sea-change compared to his predecessors, by promoting a policy of ethical responsibility, respect, justice and truth on this issue as well as others. The anticipation of this change has elicited tremendous enthusiasm in Europe and in the World. If the US President does not affirm his commitment to recognise the Armenian Genocide, Europeans would view it as a disappointing reaffirmation of the same old tactical schemes and manoeuvres which so harmed the United States these last years," commented Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the European Armenian Federation.
The list of signatory associations is available on the website of the European Armenian Federation.
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