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AZG DAILY #20, 02-02-2008

TURKEY TO ADDRESS THE HAGUE INTERNATIONAL COURT TO PROVE THE INCONSISTENCE OF THE "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS"

By H. Chaqrian, translated by A.M.

As April 24 is drawing nearer, the political, governmental and intellectual circles of the Turkish society are becoming more active about the Armenian Genocide, and their anxiety is urging them towards short-sighted actions. The most "remarkable" of those actions were made by prof. Yusuf Halacoglu, president of the Turkish Historic Society.

First of all, on the Turkish Public Television he promised to put his head into the noose in case the fact of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is proved. Then he stated that the Armenians died because of diseases and epidemics during the deportation.

When promising to hang himself Halacoglu clearly remembered about the abolition of death penalty in Turkey. And when speaking about epidemics he was trying to consolidate the positions of the Turkish negationism, which is incompatible with the historical truth.

Another remarkable thing was the Turkish Parliament’s proposal to the National Assembly and the Senate of France. On January 31 "Zaman" and "Miliet" reported that the Turkish parliament promoted an initiative to argue the French law on denying the Armenian Genocide at the International Court of Hague.

According to the information received, a parliamentary delegation was sent from Ankara to Paris with a proposal to address to the Hague International Court in order to find out whether the law on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, adopted in France in 2001, meets the requirements of the UN Convention on Genocide or not.

Member of the Turkish delegation Sukuroglu declared that Turkey shall address to the International court alone in case France refuses to cooperate. Then he stated that the French Parliament violated the UN Convention on Genocide by recognizing the fact Armenian Genocide, and therefore the authorities of Ankara are determined to prove the illegality of the French law on the Genocide and the inconsistence of the Armenians’ claims.