Cyprus President to attend Genocide centennial events in Yerevan

March 25, 2015 - 08:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades will visit Armenia from April 23 to 25 to participate in events commemorating the centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the press office of member of the Cyprus House of Representatives Vartkes Mahdessian said, according to Asbarez.

According to the source, “Nicos Anastasiades has accepted the official invitation of the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan to visit Armenia from 23 to 25 April to attend the Armenian Genocide centennial commemoration events to be held in Yerevan and confirm the support of the government of Cyprus to the Armenian people.”

Meanwhile, the political parties of the Republic of Cyprus have drafted a bill criminalizing public denial of the Armenian Genocide.

The bill jointly submitted by all the political parties represented in the parliament of Cyprus envisages penalties for those who fail to recognize genocide, war crimes and the crimes against humanity. It is proposed to be passed on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The Republic of Cyprus has recognized the Genocide and the parliament will include the bill in the agenda this week.

ArmenianGenocide100.org: Կիպրոսի նախագահը հաստատել է իր մասնակցությունը Ցեղասպանության 100-րդ տարելիցի միջոցառումներին

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.