Hollande urges Turkey to “break taboos” over Armenian GenocideJanuary 29, 2015 - 16:55 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday, Jan 28 called on Turkey to take new steps towards the truth behind the 1915 Armenian Genocide, saying "it is time to break the taboos," Agence France Presse reports. "The effort towards the truth must continue and I am convinced that this centenary year will see new gestures, new steps on the road to recognition," Hollande said at a dinner with Armenian groups in Paris. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this month said he would "actively" challenge a campaign to pressure Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide, though a year ago he offered "an expression of condolences for the 1915-1916 killings." Recalling Erdogan's stance last year, Hollande told members of France's Armenian community, the biggest in the European Union, that Ankara's position "cannot stop there". "It is time to break the taboos and for the two nations, Armenia and Turkey, to create a new beginning," he said. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |