Jews demand Erdogan to recognize Armenian Genocide before accusing Israel

April 23, 2010 - 20:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - A rally was held in front of Turkey’s Embassy in Tel Aviv April 22.

Demonstrators protested against Turkish Prime Minister accusing Israel of Palestinians’ mass murder.

“Jewish activists emphasized that Ankara has no right to charge Israel with Palestinians’ massacres, Turkey being the perpetrator of 1915 Genocide,” Hai Tad representative in Jerusalem, Georgette Avakian told PanARMENIAN.Net

Erdogan stormed off stage at the 2009 World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos during a heated discussion over Israel’s 23-day assault on the Gaza Strip.

Turkish Prime Minister accused Israeli President Shimon Peres of mass murder of Palestinians during Operation Cast Lead.

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.