Turkey can no longer hide from responsibility for damage caused by Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - Last December, when three Armenian Americans filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit in U.S. Federal Court against the Republic of Turkey, the Central Bank, and Ziraat Bank, the Turkish government ridiculed the charges, claiming “sovereign immunity,” Harut Sassounian, the Publisher of The California Courier writes in his article titled “Turkey can run, but can’t hide from long arm of U.S. law.”

The two banks filed a motion on June 1, 2011, seeking the dismissal of the case, arguing they had not received the proper documents.

The Armenian American plaintiffs were seeking $64 million in compensation for the confiscation of their properties in Adana, Turkey, in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide. The plaintiffs were also demanding additional millions of dollars for the accrued rent and interest the U.S. government paid Turkey in the past 60 years for use of the strategic Incirlik Air Base, located on Armenian-owned land.

On Aug. 2, U.S. Federal Judge Dolly Gee rejected the Turkish request. The judge ruled that the Republic of Turkey had been adequately served with legal documents and ordered the Turkish entities to present their pleading in court no later than Aug. 19.

On Aug. 29 the attorneys for the Armenian American plaintiffs asked the Federal Court to enter a default judgment against the Turkish defendants.

Mr. Sassounian reminds that Vatan newspaper reported last week that the two Turkish banks, alarmed by the serious prospect of losing a multi-million dollar lawsuit due to their failure to respond to the U.S. Federal Court, rushed to hire a lawyer and asked for more time until Sept. 19, 2011 to file a response.

Should the Turkish defendants not show up in court on Sept. 19, the federal judge could enter a default judgment and order that their assets in the U.S., up to the value of the judgment, be seized and turned over to the Armenian American plaintiffs.

The Turkish government can no longer hide from its responsibilities for the devastating damage caused to the Armenian people as a result of the genocide. It is high time for Turkey to acknowledge its long history of colossal criminal acts and make appropriate amends, concludes the Publisher of The California Courier.