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New pro-Turkey resolution introduced in US Congress
The resolution, introduced on April 15 by Edolphus Towns, a New York Democrat, came as the Armenian diaspora in the United States increases pressure on the Congress and the administration to recognize Armenian genocide claims. Last week, 20 members of Congress commemorated the “Armenian genocide” on Capitol Hill, and Armenians plan a protest against President Barack Obama in the coming days to criticize what they say his failure to honor a pre-election promise to recognize the genocide claims.
In what appears to be a response by pro-Turkey congressmen, co-chairs of the Turkey caucus presented a resolution in the House of Representatives on April 12 congratulating Turkey and its people on Republic Day, Oct. 29. Towns’ resolution, recognizing April 23 as National Sovereignty and Children’s Day in Turkey, came a few days after. Both resolutions have been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The second resolution recalls that the Turkish Parliament convened on April 23 “to lay down the foundations of a new, independent, secular, and modern Republic of Turkey” and that Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the republic, declared that April 23 would not only be National Sovereignty Day, but would also be designated Children’s Day. “Atatürk made such a designation as an acknowledgment that he was entrusting ‘in the hands of the youth the protection of [Turkey’s] sovereignty and independence’,” says the resolution, adding that this was believed to be the first time that any government dedicated a day to children.
The resolution “acknowledges the importance of honoring our children and welcomes United States participation in International Children’s Day; thanks the Government and citizens of Turkey for being the first to recognize the importance of children to the nation and the world; and congratulates the people of Turkey for the vibrancy of their parliamentary democracy.”
Armenians claim 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the Ottoman Empire during the World War I years and mark April 24 as a genocide commemoration day. Turkey denies genocide charges and says there were killings on both sides as the Ottoman Empire was trying to quell an Armenian revolt for independence in collaboration with the Russian army that was then invading eastern Anatolia.
Committee deals setback to French bill
In addition to the US, the Armenian diaspora is also pressing for parliamentary and government action in other countries. In France, the upper house of the parliament, the Senate, is expected to debate and vote on a bill that penalizes the denial of the alleged genocide on May 4. The bill was passed in 2006 in the lower house, the National Assembly, but has not been ratified by Senate thus far.
The Senate’s constitutional committee, however, opposed the bill in a report on Monday, saying it is against the French Constitution and the principle of freedom of expression enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. It also said that parliamentarians should refrain from passing judgment on history and warned that the bill could harm relations with Turkey. The Senate will now vote on the committee’s report before voting on the bill. If the Senate agrees to reject a debate of the bill in line with the committee’s report, it will send the bill back to the National Assembly.
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