Resolution Marking Ann.. Of Genocide Convention

[MosJan]

1) RESOLUTION MARKING ANNIVERSARY OF GENOCIDE CONVENTION,

RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE INTRODUCED IN U.S. SENATE

 

2) TURKISH GOVERNMENT SENDS ECVET TEZCAN TO AMERICA

TO DERAIL PROGRESS TOWARD U.S. GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

 

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RESOLUTION MARKING ANNIVERSARY OF GENOCIDE CONVENTION, RECOGNIZING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE INTRODUCED IN U.S. SENATE. ================================================================

 

-- Senators Ensign and Corzine Lead Campaign

to Secure Adoption of Legislation

 

WASHINGTON, DC - Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ)

were joined by sixteen of their Senate colleagues in introducing

Senate legislation today marking the 15th anniversary of the U.S.

implementation of the Genocide Convention, reported the Armenian

National Committee of America (ANCA).

 

The legislation is similar to a resolution introduced last year in

the Senate that garnered the support of over 30 Senators. It

parallels legislation, H.Res.193, introduced this April in the

House of Representatives. The resolution specifically cites the

Armenian Genocide as an example of past genocide.

 

Upon the introduction of the resolution, Sen. Ensign explained

that, "This resolution marking the 15th anniversary of the U.S.

implementation of the Genocide Convention represents a renewal of

America's commitment to preventing future genocides. The

Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, the Cambodian and Rwandan

tragedies are all powerful reasons why we must remain vigilant."

 

Sen. Corzine concurred, noting that, "Acknowledging past

transgressions, particularly the horrific crime of genocide, is an

important step in preventing future crimes against humanity and

putting an end to the unremitting cycle of violence of the past

century. Denying or ignoring the horrors of the past will only

lead to future tragedies."

 

Joining Senators Ensign and Corzine as original cosponsors are:

George Allen (R-VA), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Joe

Biden (D-DE), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Richard

Durbin (D-IL), John Edwards (D-NC), James Jeffords (I-VT), Edward

Kennedy (D-MA), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Joseph

Lieberman (CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Rick Santorum (R-PA), and Paul

Sarbanes (D-MD).

 

The Senate resolution marks the 15th anniversary of the U.S.

implementation of Genocide Convention, and calls on the United

States to learn from the lessons of past genocides - including the

Holocaust and the Armenian, Cambodian and Rwandan genocides - to

prevent future atrocities. It will likely be referred to the

Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Utah Republican Orrin Hatch.

 

It's House companion bill, H.Res.193, was introduced on April 10th

by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA),

and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). Despite State Department and Turkish

Government opposition, that resolution was unanimously adopted by

the House Judiciary Committee and has over 110 Congressional co- sponsors.

 

"We welcome the introduction of this legislation and encourage all

Americans to call on their Senators to cosponsor this measure,"

said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "As Armenian

Americans - as descendents of those who survived the fires of the

Armenian Genocide - we have a moral obligation to do all that we

can to strengthen our country's resolve to ensure that the horrors

of genocide are never again visited upon any people."

 

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of

Genocide, first approved in 1948, confirms that genocide is a crime

under international law and defines genocide as actions committed

with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious

group. The Convention calls on signatory states to enact domestic

legislation to provide effective penalties for persons who are

guilty of genocide.

 

The United States, under President Harry Truman, was the first

nation to sign the Convention, although the U.S. Senate did not

ratify the treaty until 1986. After the 1986 ratification, the

Congress adopted implementing language, known as the Proxmire Act,

in 1988 and President Reagan signed this legislation into law on

November 4th, 1988. This law (18 U.S.C. 1091) formally

criminalized genocide under the U.S. law. November of 2003 will

mark the 15th anniversary of the U.S. becoming a full party to his

landmark international treaty.

 

The Resolution specifically notes that despite the international

community's consensus against genocide, "denial of past instances

of genocide continues and many thousands of innocent people

continue to be victims of genocide."

 

#####

 

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TURKISH GOVERNMENT SENDS ECVET TEZCAN TO AMERICA

TO DERAIL PROGRESS TOWARD U.S. GENOCIDE RECOGNITION ================================================================

 

-- Tezcan's Record Reveals Aggressive Genocide Denial,

False Charges of an Armenian Genocide Against Turks,

and Land Claims on the Republic of Armenia

 

WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA),

in a second communication with the leading Armenian American

organizations, articulated the principle behind its opposition to

recent efforts by the Turkish Embassy and Consulates in the United

States to arrange individual meetings for Armenian American groups

with Ecvet Tezcan.

 

Tezcan is a senior Turkish Foreign Ministry official - from the

Directorate of Intelligence and Research - whose record includes

aggressive Genocide denial, contrived charges of an Armenian

Genocide against Turks, and even Turkish and Azerbaijani land

claims on the Republic of Armenia. Over the past week, Turkish

government officials in the United States have requested separate

private meetings, on short notice, with a number of Armenian

American organizations. The Turkish Consul in New York, according

to several accounts, has specifically asked that these meetings be

held in secret.

 

"We stand on the principle that the very existence of such

meetings, in the absence of full Turkish acknowledgment and

acceptance of responsibility for the Armenian Genocide, will only

serve the Turkish government's campaign to deny the Armenian

Genocide. We believe that it would be a very serious mistake to

accept the invitation to meet with this senior Turkish official,"

wrote ANCA Chairman Kenneth V. Hachikian.

 

"We should not allow ourselves to fall into the Turkish

government's trap. Turkey is, very simply and transparently,

trying to use the presence of Armenian Americans at these meetings

as props in a staged effort to mislead the U.S. policy community

into believing that Armenian Genocide recognition efforts are

unnecessary in light of its ongoing "direct dialogue with

Armenians," he added.

 

The ANCA letter went on to address the "Turkish government's true

motive:" It seeks, at any cost, to deny the Genocide and to escape

its present day responsibilities for this crime against humanity.

These proposed meetings are merely tactics in the service of its

goals." The letter cited two recent examples of how Turkey has

escalated its campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide:

 

* In Turkey, the Education Minister Huseyin Celik

recently issued a decree requiring the teaching of

Armenian Genocide denial to the next generation of

Turkey's school children. We have learned that a

school teacher in Turkey, Mrs. Hulya Akpinar from

the province of Kilis, was fined and arrested

simply for questioning school administrators about

this policy.

 

* In Washington, DC, the Turkish Embassy is

spending millions of dollars to hire a new public

relations firm, the influential Harbour Group.

This company joins Turkey's lobbying team, led by

former Congressman Robert Livingston, adding major

political horsepower to the Turkish government's

efforts to block the adoption of the Congressional

Genocide Resolution.

 

Several examples of Tezcan's statements concerning the Armenian

Genocide and Armenia are provided below:

 

1) Tezcan: "Concocted Armenian Genocide"

 

On February 12, President Aliyev received the Turkish ambassador

Gadri Ecvet Tezcan, who congratulated the Azeri president on the

occasion of Azerbaijan's acceptance to the Council of Europe and

indicated that Azerbaijan had always been an inseparable part of

Europe. The diplomat also expressed his president's and

government's gratitude for the position Azerbaijan has displayed

with regard to the concocted "Armenian genocide."

 

AzerNews, Issue No.7 (189), 2001 http://www.bakupages.com/pubs/azernews/592_en.php

 

 

2) Tezcan: "So-called genocide claims"

 

Turkish Daily News - How are Turkish-Armenian relations seen in

Baku?

 

Tezcan - Turkey acted in an honest way and it took steps due to the

magnitude of Turkey regarding its relations with Yerevan. We did

not close the doors. Turkey gave its hand to Yerevan as a big

state. We want Yerevan to stop its invasion in Azeri lands. The

second issue is the so-called genocide claims. And thirdly, the

articles of the Armenian constitution that threaten the territorial

integrity of other countries should be taken out of the

constitution.

 

Turkish Daily News Interview

25 June 2001, Copyright © Turkish Daily News

http://www.turkishdailynews.com/old_editio..._01/feature.htm

 

 

3) Tezcan: " Armenians organized genocides against the Turkish

people throughout history and invaded the Turkish lands "

 

CONFERENCE IN BAKU ON THE "TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS AND

HISTORICAL FACTS"

 

BAKU, May 1 (A.A) - The second conference on "The Turkish-Armenian

Relations and Historical Facts" was held on Thursday in Baku, the

capital of Azerbaijan. Students and scientists from both Turkey

and Azerbaijan attended the conference which was organized by the

Union of Turkish World Culture and the Baku Social Management and

Political Science Institute.

 

Addressing the opening of the conference, Kadri Ecvet Tezcan,

Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan, said that the Armenians organized

genocides against the Turkish people throughout history and invaded

the Turkish lands, noting that world kept silent about these

abuses. Remarking that Armenians used the parliaments of several

countries where they are living as a minority to issue resolutions

concerning the so-called Armenian genocide by using different

methods, Tezcan noted that the Armenians should justify for the

genocides they committed against the Turkish people.

 

Anadolu Agency: News in English, 98-05-01

May 1, 1998 http://www.hri.org/news/turkey/anadolu/199...01.anadolu.html

 

 

4) Tezcan: "So-called Meghri region" should be returned to

Azerbaijan

 

The Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan, Kadri Ecvet Tezcan:

 

[Tezcan in Turkish, captioned as Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan]

As you know, Turkey is not a cochairman of the Minsk Group, but it

is a member of this body. Turkey is closely involved in this

[Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict] issue. We are closely involved in

this issue, first of all because of Azerbaijan and Turkey's love

for the Azerbaijani people, and second, because of international

laws. Turkey cannot accept the occupation of the territories of one

country by another one. You asked about the third condition. I

cannot imagine Azerbaijan's Naxcivan separated from the main part

of Azerbaijan. Also, everybody remembers that the so-called region

of Megri was Azerbaijani land some time ago. This region was given

to Armenia during Soviet times and consequently Naxcivan and

Azerbaijan were separated. That is why these two parts should be

linked if any kind of peace is established. This is our opinion.

However, it is another question whether or not the Armenians will

accept this. But it is certain that normal relations are not

possible with Armenia as long as this country holds the territory

of other countries under occupation.

 

ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1000 gmt 13 Jun 01

BBC Mon TCU 130601 bk/za

http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/azerbai...00106/0033.html

 

#####

 

Published by the:

 

Armenian National Committee of America

888 17th Street NW Suite 904

Washington, DC 20006

Tel: (202) 775-1918

Fax: (202) 775-5648

E-mail: anca@anca.org

Internet: www.anca.org

 

For more information, contact:

Elizabeth S. Chouldjian

(202) 775-1918

 

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[Sasun]

And thirdly, the

articles of the Armenian constitution that threaten the territorial

integrity of other countries should be taken out of the

constitution.

 

This is what I was talking about some time ago... simply a ridiculous requirement.

[khodja]

I will be contacting my US Senators today. I urge all of you to do the same. Since I am active in the ACLU and other liberal organizations, my voice will have more weight than the conservative Armenian businessmen here.

[MosJan]

Khodjajan can you ask the Senators to let em smoke in sime LA restorants Pliz eli j/k

[MosJan]

ARMENIANS OF US AGREED TO MEET ANKARA REPRESENTATIVES IF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE IS DISCUSSED

09.06.2003

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The representatives of the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) agreed to meet with Turkish diplomat Ejevet Tezkan on condition that the agenda will include the issue of the Armenian Genocide recognition. As reported by the AAA to "Arminfo" agency, if the Armenian party avoids immediate contacts with Ankara representatives all the time, it can be used against the Armenians themselves, especially in the course of the discussion of the resolution on genocide in the US Senate this week. "On the threshold of this discussion we should demonstrate Washington that we do not ignore the opportunity of immediate discussion of the issue troubling us with the representatives of Ankara", - was stated in the AAA. At the same time the source added that in order to avoid possible distortion of the information by the Turkish party, the Armenian party intends to publish the records of these meetings.

 

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