Armenian Genocide denial is an absurdity

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ,) co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, made the following statement yesterday on the floor of the House of Representatives referencing the Turkish war trials at the end of World War I, in which top Turkish government officials were found guilty of genocide. This is the third in a series of from 1915 to 1918, it is impossible to deny that this was indeed genocide on all accounts.



One way to bear witness to the truth is to make reference to the war trials that took place immediately following the end of World War I.speeches the New Jersey congressman plans to give on the House floor in an effort to continue to build support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution, the Representative's press office reported.



"Madame Speaker, the denial of the Armenian genocide is an absurdity. Looking at the history of this catastrophic event



Following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I, a new government formed and accused its predecessor Young Turk regime of serious crimes. Nearly four hundred of the key government officials implicated in the atrocities committed against the Armenians were arrested.



At least six regional courts convened in provincial cities where massacres had occurred. The first recorded trial took place in Yozgat charging three officials, including the governor, of mass murder of the Armenians of Ankara.



The most famous trial took place in Istanbul in April 1919. There twelve defendants, all members of the Committee on Union and Progress leadership and former ministers, were tried. Seven key figures, including Talt Pasha, minister of interior; Enver Pasha, minister of war; and Cemal Pasha, governor of Aleppo, had fled, and therefore, were tried in absentia. One authenticated secret telegram from July 17, 1915 quoted orders from Pasha that "the salvation of the country requires the elimination of the Armenians.



Madame Speaker, I wish to express my support for swift passage of H. Res. 106 which reaffirms the Armenian Genocide. It now has 224 cosponsors, a majority of the House. As the first genocide of the 20th Century, it is morally imperative that we remember this atrocity and collectively demand reaffirmation of this crime against humanity.



We must stand up and recognize the tragic events that began in 1915 for what they were - the systematic elimination of a people. By recognizing these actions as genocide we can renew our commitment to prevent such atrocities from occurring again," he said.