Italy’s Marche recognizes Armenian Genocide

October 13, 2015 - 11:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The regional council of Marche, Italy, has unanimously approved a measure to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Tert.am reports.

In a resolution adopted on Tuesday, October 6, Marche expressed solidarity with the Armenian people on the tragedy’s centennial.

Council members Rapa Boris, Pieroni Moreno, Busilacchi Gianluca and Marconi Luca initiated the bill.

Italy recognized the Armenian Genocide back in 2000.

On April 24, 2015, Armenians around the world commemorated the centennial of the Genocide, perpetrated at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

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.