Bulgaria's conservative party submits to parliament Armenian genocide declaration

March 19, 2010 - 15:40 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Bulgaria's conservative Order, Law, and Justice (RZS) party is submitting with the Parliament Thursday an official declaration asking that Bulgaria condemns the Armenian genocide committed by Turkey.

The declaration is in connection with the Thursday visit of Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, to Bulgaria and statements of Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan that the country is prepared to extradite 100 000 Armenians.

RZS is also requesting an official answer from Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, about the policy of the cabinet regarding the Armenian genocide during World War I.

The party leader, Yane Yanev, says they aim at reaching a consensus about Bulgaria's assessment of the tragic events and giving a clear statement in defense of historical truth as the US and Sweden have done, Novinite.com reported.

US Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee and the Swedish Parliament recently approved resolutions to brand the 1915 killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, stirring outrage in Turkey.

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.