The College Fix
Dec 6 2014

Following UCLA divestment vote, Armenian students want Turkey divestment

by Greg Piper – Assistant Editor on December 5, 2014

UCLA’s undergraduate student government passed a divestment resolution
against Israel two weeks ago, and now Armenian students are working on
a resolution asking the UC system to divest from Turkey, the Daily
Bruin reports:

>From 1915 until 1923, Turkish authorities massacred about 1.5 million
Armenians in the then-crumbling Ottoman Empire, leading to the seizure
of Armenian land and forcing a diaspora of the Armenian people.

“This resolution is economic with a political end,” said Sevana
Manukian, a fourth-year human biology and society student and a member
of the Armenian Students’ Association. “We want (the Republic of
Turkey) to recognize a historical tragedy.”

They say it’s not timed to build on the momentum from the Israel
divestment vote:

The group decided to bring the resolution forward now because of the
centennial anniversary of the genocide, said Natalie Kalbakian, a
third-year political science student and external vice president of
the Armenian Students’ Association.

In 2012, USAC passed a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide
and condemning its denial. The Armenian Students’ Association’s
resolution aims to take this motion a step further toward more
assertive action against the Republic of Turkey.

The UC system’s retirement plan and general endowment pool have “a
base market value totaling more than $65 million” in Turkish bonds,
the Daily Bruin said.

The Undergraduate Students Association Council will hear from the
Armenian group on Tuesday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress