Cyprus President says Armenian Genocide “a disgrace to mankind”

April 24, 2016 - 17:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades condemned the Armenian Genocide, reiterating his government’s support towards efforts to have the crime recognized by the international community, Sigma Live reports.

“On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide by the Neoturks, the Cypriot Government condemns the abhorrent crime which is a disgrace in the history of mankind,” Anastasiades said on Sunday, April 24.

“The Government expresses feelings of solidarity and sympathy towards the Armenian people, and, at the same time, supports the efforts for the recognition of the Genocide by the international community.”

On Saturday, House President Yiannakis Omirou addressed a gathering at Nicosia’s Armenian church condemning Turkey’s stance on the Genocide with their constant refusal to recognize it.

Sigma Live. Anastasiades calls Armenian Genocide "a disgrace to mankind"

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.