The Swedish Parliament Recognizes The Armenian Genocide

The massacre of Armenians and other ethnic groups in 1915 was a genocide. This the Swedish Parliament decided with least possible margin on Thursday evening.

By a vote of 131 to 130 the opposition’s reservations became victorious over the committee’s proposal. For this to be possible required four centre-right members to vote against their own parties. This was done by two members of the Liberal Peoples party, one from the Christian Democrats and one maverick MP who formerly belonged to the Moderates.

The government’s line was to not classify the massacre of, among others, Assyrians and Armenians as genocide as it should not be up to politicians to write history.

Source: A1Plus – Original Article

A New Documentary on The Armenian Genocide Screened in Berlin

On Wednesday, March 10, the Republican Cultural Foundation of Germany organized a screening of “Ash and Phoenix” documentary, dedicated to memory of the victims of Genocide of 1915, a spokesperson for Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said.

The film was shot in Armenia, Syria, and Turkey and was sponsored by the Republican Cultural Foundation of Germany. Its screening was held in Berlin’s Germany’s History Museum Cinema Hall and was attended by German and Armenian officials, including Armenia’s Ambassador to Germany Armen Martirosian, and representatives of the Armenian Community of Germany.

The screening was followed by speaking of film’s director Solakhan and Armenian Ambassador.

Source: Aysor - Original Article

Swedish Parliament To Vote on Armenian Genocide Motion

The Swedish parliament will vote today on a motion to recognize the 1915 Armenian genocide, The Local Swedish news portal informs.

The motion has the backed by members of five of the seven Swedish parliamentary parties including the Left Party, whose foreign policy spokesperson Hans Linde told The Local on Thursday that the time had come for Sweden to take a stand on the issue.

“Firstly, to hinder any repeat and to learn from history. Secondly, to encourage the development of democracy in Turkey – which includes dealing with their own history. Thirdly, to redress the wrongs committed against the victims and their descendants,” Linde said.  Read more... (381 words)

Davutoglu Reveals Ankara’s Steps if Obama Uses The Term Genocide

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to the US Namik Tan, who was recalled to Ankara following the endorsement of the Armenian Genocide Resolution by the US House Foreign Relations Committee.

According to the Turkish Stargazete, Davutoglu-Tan discussed Ankara’s further steps providing US President Barack Obama uses “Genocide” in his April 24 speech.

Thus, providing Obama uses “Genocide”, Ankara will freeze $1,2 billion deal on F-35 fighter jet and 14 CH-47 Chinook helicopter, as well as Patriot Missile sale talks. Ankara will also limit the support to the US over Iran and Afghanistan.

Source: Panorama – Original article

AXA Paid Compensation To Descendants of Armenian Genocide Victims

French insurance firm AXA has paid compensation to descendants of Armenian Genocide victims based on life insurance policies taken at the time. Thousands of families applied for compensation through policies that their ancestors bought under the Ottoman Empire from companies that were taken over by the French firm, AXA.

Hilda Tchoboian, the head of an Armenian association in the French city of Lyon, said Axa had agreed to pay nearly 1,000 Armenian, French and American families, and had started sending cheques of about $10,000 each, Ottawa Citizen reported.

Source: PanArmenian – Original Article

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation in Yerevan To Commemorate Victims of Armenian Genocide

In the evening on March 10 the delegation headed by the Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Joao Soares will arrive in Armenia. Joao Soares is scheduled to meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan, chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh Ashot Ghulyan, the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. The delegation will also be received by the Catholicos of All Armenians Garekin II.

The delegation will lay a wreath to the Armenian Genocide Memorial.

On March 11 the delegation, headed by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Chairman will take part in the NATO Rose Roth seminar “Regional cooperation in the South Caucasus. Challenges, Opportunities, Perspectives”.  Read more... (246 words)

Turkish-American Association Reacts to CNN Broadcast About Genocides

On March 7 CNN showed Scream Bloody Murder, a documentary about Genocides prepared by a known TV journalist, Christiane Amanpour. The author tells about the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, the Genocide in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur, as well as the massacres of Kurds during Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.

Releasing a statement on CNN’s program, Ali Cinar, vice president of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations -ATAA, said that the timing of the broadcast was significant, and called on everybody to protest the TV channel immediately.

Cinar said “US TV channels’ displaying a unilateral stance with the Armenian Diaspora’s financial support did not comply with objectivity and journalistic ethics”.  Read more... (175 words)