The Armenians protest in Brussels
Jean Eckian
15-12-2007 16:31:31 – Karabakh
Hundreds of European Armenians demonstrated in Brussels on Friday
december 14 to urge the European Union to force Turkey to recognize the
Armenian Genocide before joining the Union.
More than 800 Armenian citizens union of Europe said Stop to this
genocidary Turkey! and claimed the introduction of the Copenhagen’s
criteria which integrate the Armenian Genocide recognition, preliminary
to Turkish adhesion in the EU."We are not against the accession of
Turkey but against the accession of this Turkey which refuses to leave
Cyprus, to recognize Cyprus, to recognize the Armenian Genocide and the
rights of the Kurds" said Mourad Papazian, president of the FRA
Dashnaksutyun for Europe.
While the EU has demanded that Turkey improve the respect of human
rights and recognize Cyprus, the recognition of the Armenian genocide
has never been a condition for it joining.
In an icy cold, the speakers coming from all Europe, followed one
another the rostrum drawn up on Esplanade du Cinquantenaire of Brussels
facing the Council of Europe, where the 27 Heads of States and
governments finally deferred to next Monday the Turkish question, for
lack of agreement.
The European Armenian Federation is of the view that by altering the
essence of these negotiations from one of automatic accession to
"accession or privileged partnership" is a positive move. It reopens
the political debate on the key issue of whether Turkeys uniting with
the Democracies of Europe is indeed a natural progression for the
European Union itself.
"Even if today, the Europeans have not yet defined the clear content of
what would be the "privileged partnership," we know, however, that
Turkey will try to obtain a maximum of privileges from the EU and that
it will confer it exorbitant leverages and that it will reinforce its
economic and military power," commented Hilda Tchoboian, the
chairperson of the European Armenian Federation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
