Congressman Engel: Turkey must acknowledge crimes of its forefathersMay 2, 2014 - 13:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Upon his return from Armenia which marked the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel wrote a letter to The Riverdale Press. The letter said, “I just returned from Armenia as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation and had the opportunity to mark the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan. This horrific chapter in the bloodiest century in history, which began in 1915, resulted in the slaughter of 1.5 million innocent Armenians. These murders were a terrible tragedy for the Armenian people. They still bear the scars today, and the barbarity inflicted on the Armenians also led to a century of genocide and ethnic-cleansing. When Hitler sneered, “Who after all speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?,” we see the link between indifference to the Armenians and the murder of six million Jews. This same mindset has influenced too many thuggish leaders over the past century —leaders convinced that they can kill and brutalize their peoples with impunity. “We owe it to history and to humanity to remember the victims of the Armenian Genocide - for their sake, and for the sake of all of us.” Turkey needs to, at a minimum, apologize to Armenians and acknowledge the crimes of its forefathers. By offering his condolences for those who died, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken a welcome step forward — but his words fall far short of an official apology. Turkey owes that to itself, too, for Turkish society will be stronger for having acknowledged the truth. I want to express to the Armenian people my great sorrow and deepest condolences. And I say to them, as we say regarding the Holocaust, “Never again”,” the Congressmen stressed in his letter. Related links: 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. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. |