Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Adopts Resolution on Armenian Genocide Recognition

YEREVAN — The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, representing the European Union’s member and partner states on Tuesday called for greater international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide and urged Turkey to “come to terms with its past.”

A resolution adopted during a session in Yerevan, the EU Parliamentary Assembly said “the absence of unequivocal and timely condemnation of the Armenian Genocide largely contributed to the failure to prevent future crimes against humanity.”

Therefore, it said, “prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity should be amongst the priorities of the international community.”The world should also strive for “the restoration of the rights of people subjected to genocide,” added the assembly bringing together members of the European Parliament and legislatures of ex-Soviet states involved in the EU’s Eastern Partnership program.

The resolution further “deeply deplores” attempts to deny the World War One-era slaughter of some 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey and other genocides. In that regard, it “invites Turkey to come to term with its past.”

The Euronest text was adopted less than a week after the European Parliament reaffirmed its recognition of the Armenian genocide in an annual report on human rights practices around the world. It urged all EU member states to do the same.

The measure was adopted with a vote of 33 to 4.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected the EU legislature’s appeal, saying that it is “utterly devoid of historical reality and legal basis.”

“We find these assertions in all respects extremely problematic and regret them deeply,” the ministry spokesman, Tanju Bilgic, said in a weekend statement. “The report interprets a certain period of the Ottoman Empire, which was tragic for all the people of the Empire, one-sidedly and with a sense of selective justice.”

The Joint text for an Urgent Motion for Resolution by the Armenian and the European Parliament on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide:

The EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly,

Having regard to Article 9(3) of its Rules of Procedure;

Having regard to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948;

Having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966;

Having regard to the UN Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity of 26 November 1968;

Having regard to the European Parliament Resolution of 20 July 1987 on a Political Solution to the Armenian question;

Having regard to the European Parliament Resolution of 15 November 2000 on Turkey’s progress towards accession;

Having regard to the European Parliament Resolution of 28 September 2005 on the opening of negotiations with Turkey;

Having regard to the resolutions and statements of the legislative bodies of number of the EU members states.

Whereas the year of 2015 marks the centennial of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire;

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world;

Whereas the denial of genocide is widely recognized as the final stage of genocide, enshrining impunity for the perpetrators of genocide, and demonstrably paving the way for future genocides; whereas the absence of unequivocal and timely condemnation of the Armenian Genocide largely contributed to the failure to prevent future crimes against humanity;

Whereas early prevention of such crimes can surely stop escalation of conflicts, tragedies and humanitarian catastrophes.

The Assembly:

Condemns all forms of crimes against humanity and genocide and deeply deplore attempts of their denial;

Pay tribute to the memory of innocent victims of all genocides and crimes, committed against humanity;

Stresses that prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity should be amongst the priorities of international community; Finds that further development of the international capacities in this regard is instrumental;

Supports the international struggle for the prevention of genocides, the restoration of the rights of people subjected to genocide and the establishment of historical justice;

Invites Turkey to come to term with its past;

Considers that setting up grounds for future reconciliation between peoples is of utmost importance;

Invites Armenia and Turkey to use examples of successful reconciliation between European Nations and focus on an agenda putting cooperation between the peoples first;

Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Adopts Resolution on Armenian Genocide Recognition