Turkey claims Otoman Empire legacy at Armenian Genocide 100th Anniversary as CoE+ Fights Negationism

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/(Partly Updated)/- It's at the Centennial of the 1st Genocide of Modern Times, that of Armenian People by the Ottoman Turk Military (1915 - 2015), that the Turkish Government curiously chose to launch a Provocative Claim upon former Ottoman-Turk Empire's legacy, instead of Hidding, as it used to do in the Past, its Responsibilities behind the Hasty Mutation of the ruins of an incompletely Demolished, Decaying former Ottoman-Turk Empire into a Hasty Makeshift and Shaky Imitation of a so called "Nation"-State, artificially imposed over Dozens of Multi-National  with Less than 1 sole Century of Existence, in an area Cripled by the Armenian and the Greek Pontian and Asian Minor, as well as the Kurdish Genocides, (etc), up to the recent rise of the Deadly and Destructive Extremist Islamist Terrorism of ISIL, throughout Turkey's Borders towards Syria and Iraq, etc.

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But, curiously, that Turkish move came as CoE and others had started to call, on the contrary, to Fight against Negationism, in this and othet similar cases, in order both to do elementary Justice to the Victims and their Families and Friends, but also to Prevent any New Crimes against Humanity in the foreseable Future, (See Infra).

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A Huge Exhibition claiming that the former Ottoman-Turc Empire would have always provided "Safe Heaven" to any persecuted People or Minorities, Never doing the slightest harm to any threatened Nation, was set up, at the last  minute, despite Protests, inside the CoE and even right in front of an Armenian Exhibition full of Press Reports and other Historic Documents which had denounced from the start the Armenian Genocide, precisely this week of the Centenial Anniversary of that 1st Genocide of the Modern period...

+ Moreover, even other Controversial and obviously Dangerous Today claims, (as, f.ex., that recent developments around Turkish borders to Iraq and Syria would have created, in fact,  "One Area", and that Turkey may "respect International Borders", but céould Bypass them whenever Ankara might find that "Human Rights are violated" :An obviously Spicy claim, particularly coming from the No 1 culprit in CoE's list of recidivists with a Record-High number of ECHR's Judgments frequently and repeatedly violated...),  emerged through that Strange and provocative Turkish Exhibition, (including, f.ex., on paper, as well as in Videos picturing mainly Statements attributed to new Turkish Prime Minister, Mr. Davutoglou, etc).

(Turkish Negationist Propaganda, inside CoE, +at Armenian Genocide's 100th Anniversary)

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COE Assembly : Negationism Hinders to Prevent Future Crimes against Humanity !
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But, at the same moment, CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly decided to clearly "condemn" the "Armenian Genocide", during which, "1,500,000 Armenians perished as a result of this Hideous Crime perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire", according to a Written Declaration signed Yesterday, Thursday, in Strasbourg (23 April 2013) by a strong Majority of more than 200 MEPs, (which would obviously has been even Wider if Russian MEPs hads participated in this Session), i.e. almost an astonishing 2/3 Majority of PACE's 318 official Members !

 - Moreover, "Deeply Deploring Attempts at the .. Denial" of such "Crimes against Humanity and Genocide", CoE Assembly's Majority Declaration of 2015, also Denounces the Fact that "the Absence of Unequivocal and Timely Condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, largely contributed to the Failure to Prevent Future Crimes against Humanity, such as the Holocaust and Other Genocides", as it Warned for the "Centennial of the Armenian Genocide", "24 April 2015",

while Turkey notoriously persists into Denying having committed any such Genocide, despite its official Recognition by more than 26 Countries throughout the Globe, (together with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Assemblies) until Today, the US Congres, the Permanent People's Tribunal, EU Parliament and CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, Mercosur, UNO's Commission on prevention of Discrimination and protection of Minorities, the Grand Rabbin of Israel, the Vatican, etc.

- But, on the Contrary, "Prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity should be amongst our Priorities", because "Early prevention of such crimes can surely Stop the escalation of Conflicts, Tragedies and humanitarian Catastrophes", CoE Assembly's Majority stressed Now. And, in this regard, "the CoE has an important Role to play within the international efforts in contributing to the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity".

=> Therefore, CoE "should Encourage its Member States (as, f.ex. Turkey, etc) to come to terms with Their own Past and prepare grounds for future reconciliation between peoples", the 2/3 of the PanEuropean Organisation's Parliamentary Assembly's Members believe, while also pointing out, from the ouitset, the fact that, as a matter of Principle, "Genocide is an Unconceivable Crime for a society which is founded on tolerance and protection of Human Rights and fundamental freedoms", as all CoE's Member Countries should do, the 2015 CoE Assembly Declaration points out, while also "paying Tribute to the Memory of Innocent Victims", shortly before the New EU Parliament, as it has been issued from the May 2014 EU Elections, is due to Debate and Vote, for the 1st Time in its 5-Years-long mandate (2014-2019) on a comprehensive Report and Resolution concerning Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid, (which has, meanwhile, been exceptionaly Delayed and Postponed this Year, towards May 2015, at least)...

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>>> As Armenian Ambassador, Permanent Representative at the CoE, Armen Papikyan, told "EuroFora", on this occasion, "initially, we (Armenians) throught that this Genocide was just a Great Tragedy for our Nation. But, Afterwards, it became obvious  that this was also a matter for several other Nations, and Humankind in general, since Other Genocides and/or Crimes against Humanity, were committed, as long as a Total Impunity remained for the Armenian Genocide"... At least an elementary "Justice", is, therefore, needed, he concluded.

    => That's one reason more, for which, Today, at the Centennial Anniversary of the 1st Genocide in Modern Times, the Armenian Community calls, more than ever, for "Truth and Justice", at last, to prevail, as also the Experienced President of Strasbourg's Region Alsace's Association of Friendship with Armenia, the Franco-Armenian Pierre Zouloumian, who is traditionaly Heading the relevant Collective Events here, stressed in Conclusion of his Speech at Republic Square's Monument of the Dead, earlier Today.

    + Thus, it's also the Head of nearby German City of Kehl's Armenian Community, Hayik Parlar, who, speaking later to "EuroFora", pointed particularly at the fact that in his Speech at the Downtown "FriedenKirche" gathering, he reminded the well-known fact that Hitler had reportedly ordered the Jewish Holocaust after observing that "Nobody even Remembered" then, "the Armenians", massacrated by the Ottoman-Turks earlier. 

Thus, Today, the Armeno-German local Community's Head, welcomed and Thanked German President Gauck's famous recent Statement, for all those, more or less Responsible for the Armenian Genocide, to recognize it at least now, as he noted, applauded on this Topical point, by a Mixte, German-Armenian audience.

    ++ Even "Other Christians were also Exterminated", already since 1915-1920, such as "500.000 Assyro-Chaldeans-Syriacs and 350.000 Greeks", denounced Pierre Zouloumian in Strasbourg, in this regard, "Followed by the Kurds  : Initialy Manipulated in order to execute orders for the extermination of Armenians, they were, later-on, them too, Massively Deported and pushed to Death, with Hundreds of Thousands of Kurdish Victims". But, "pursuiing its Deadly job, the (Turkish) Kemalist Laic Republic Massacrated as well as the former Governments of Sultans and "Young Turks", with the "Fire of (Ancient, overMillenary Greek City of) Smyrne, on 1922, and the Mass Killing of the Greek and Armenian Populations by Mustafa Kemal's troops is an example", he reminded, inter alia.

    - NB => In France and elsewhere, particularly throughout Europe, including inside the PanEuropean Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, i.e. the CoE, various Converging Calls to Act against Negationism of the 1st Genocide of the Modern er were launched recently, often pointing even explicitly towards a 2012 French Law, adopted by a crystal-clear Majority by Paris' National Assembly, which had established penal Sanctions for such Negationism, but was Blocked by a Majority in the controversial Constitutional Court of the country, whose composition depends mainly to the President of the Republic on duty each time, who may seriously Modify the Composition of the Court by Unilateraly  Appointing whoever he likes, without any consideration to preserve at least an elementary Political Balance, neither to Respect a Tradition of People's Democratic Votes, (since even all 3 Members who  had a Right to participate, as former Presidents of  France : Valery Giscard d'Estain, Jacques Chirac, and Nicolas Sarkozy, had, meanwhile,  all been incited, in one way or another, to Exceptionaly Stop taking part to that Court's collective Decisions, some even Challenging openly its allegedly "Partisan" line, in certain cases felt and denounced as Scandalously one-sided politically, (as it was notoriously stressed f.ex. in 2013-2014)...

    - In fact, "the Criminal Filiation established between the former Ottoman Empire, the "Young Turks"' Government and Kemal's Republic, made Necessary, in order to protect the Turkish State, to Disguish, Dissimulate, and Deny the Crime, permanently :
    - That's why, "the Turkish State practices an Official Negationism, since the years 1980" (of the Military putch) at least, reminded Today Pierre Zouloumian at the Strasbourg's gathering : F.ex., "on May 2001, a Government Decree creates a "Coordination Council for the Struggle against Genocide Assertions", giving, thus, an Official dimension to the State's Negationism. On April 2003, a Circular of the Turkish Ministry of National Education asks ... to organize Exams in which the Students must Deny the Extermination of Armenians, Assyro-Chaldeans, and Pontian Greeks at the Beginning of the 20th Century".  More Recently, "on 2014, a Special Committee is created by the Turkish Prime Minister in order to Counter Revendications to Recognise the Armenian Genocide", and "its activities are taken over by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign affairs, ... and even that of European affairs !", he pointed out. Moreover, "on 2014, a Universitarian from Izmir (former Smyrne, for Thousands of years), asks from his Students to prepare a Text Proving that there wasn't any Genocide ever committed against Armenians". Almost at the Same Time, "Polls made in Adana's Schools, reveal that 70% among 800 Professors and 1066 Students, Christian Minorities, including Armenians, Greeks, and also Jewish, are "Ennemies" of Turkey or play a "Negative" role", while, even at SchoolBooks, the Christians, and particularly the Armenians, are presented to the Students as Traitors"...

- "Why, 100 years later, the Reactions of the Turkish State are they so Vivid and try to Deny the Crime ?", he wondered.  - "Without any doubt, it's because the Criminal Filiation ... (with the former Ottoman Empire) has been really Extended until the Current Neo-Ottoman-Islamic Government" in Ankara, President Pierre Zulumian noted, speaking in DownTown Strasbourg, the Same Week of the 100th Anniversary since the Armenian Genocide of 1915,  that, at the CoE, the Turkish Delegation set up on April 2015 that incredible Exhibition about the former Ottoman Empire, claiming that it was a .. "Safe Heaven" for all Oppressed People and Minorities, who would have been always Protected and Treated Well by the Sultans (sic !), without any exception a    t all, (naturally "Forgetting" even to Mention the Armenians, the Greeks, the Kurds, the Assyrians, etc, as mainstream British Conservative MEP James Clappison, President of CoE Assembly's Legal and Human Rights Committee, observed critically, speaking to "EuroFora").

    - But, "after the Murder of our People, should we let them Suffer a Second Murder now through (Turkish) Negationism" Today ? "Will France admit even, the Violence exerted against French Citizens commemorating the Genocide, the Death Threats, the Degradation and Profanation of Monuments ?", meanwhile, President Pierre Zulumian wondered in his Speech. F.ex. "on March 2015, the Memorial for the Armenian Genocide in Lyon, faced another Aggression : The sculpture was Covered by Graffiti with Insults", he denounced, inter alia, reminding also, f.ex. that, already, back during the latest, 2012 French Presidential Elections, the <<Talat Pacha>> Committee, named after that <<Turkish Himmler>> (notoriously accused to be a main instingator of Armenians' Mass Killings, Deadly "Tests", etc) could  Demonstrate in Paris against a French Law" (which, then, condemned Negationism with Sanctions) : "an Obscenity", as he said, as well as, already "on April 2012, in front of 10.000 Fanatic Militants, at Metz, the Leader of the Nationalist Turkish Movement MHP (Far Right, often considered as Extremists), launched again a Negationist speech, Attacking that French Law, something Scandalous", while, almost at the same time, Local "Press gave a Tribune to an Association at Mulhouse which identified itself with the Criminal Organisation of "Gray Wolves" (Extremist Turkish Group, often accused also of Violence, etc), added to Interventions, "f.ex. by an Turkish Association at Mulhouse, on Spring of 2012, pressing to Prohibit Teaching about the Armenian Genocide, despite the fact that it's included at the French National Education Programs", etc, are "Distressing" incidents, he denounced.

    => "Negationism" is not an Opinion, but a Crime, against which we must Fight, because it's the Prolongement of a Genocide-like behavior. ... The (French) Law which imposed Sanctions against Negations of all Genocides, and was Voted by those Elected by the French People, has been Blocked by the Constitutional Court", he denounced. But, there is "Urgency to start Implimenting it, because it will Protect Civic Peace, and will serve the General Interest", by "avoiding to Stop, in France, the Warnings about Risks for Mass Crimes"", President Zulumian warned. "French People succeeded to obtain from their Elected Representatives that Law, which will also Avoid, probably, that a Foreign State can still continue to Impose its own "Law". On the contrary, that French Legislation against Negationism, "it must be Applied firmly, and the Crime will Stop", he concluded.     

    Speaking more Softly, in "FriedenKirhen" at nearby German Kehl City, the newly elected Mayor, the sympathetic Toni Vetrano, went, by another way, towards the Same Direction :  After modestly excusing himself for not knowing yet something special to add on what has been already said on the Armenian Genocide, that President Gauck has just confirmed as Recognized, and, calling all Communities to "Live Together" in one among the most "International" Cities in Europe, as "PolyEthnic" Kehl townlet, near Strasbourg, really is, (including by Hosting many CoE's Officials and Staff, etc), Vetrano reminded the fact that Germany itself has Recognized in the Past the Jewish "Holocaust", and such a move Helped Reconciliation and Peace, in order to, indirectly but surely, advise also Turkey to follow that example of the Biggest EU Country, as far as the Armenian Genocide is concerned.

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" - The 1st" "Great incredible Tragedy" that "Humankind lived through ... the Last (20th) Century", "is that which is generally considered as "the 1st Genocide of the 20th Century" : it stroke against the Armenian People - First Christian Nation - together with the Syrian Catholics and Orthodox, the Assyrians, Chaldeans, the Greeks", Pope Francis strongly declared just a few Days ago, on April 12, 2015, on the occasion of the Centenial of the Armenian Genocide at the Vatican.

But, when new Pope Francis dared name the Armenian Tragedy as the "1st Genocide of the 20th Century", Turkey withdrew its Ambassador from the Vatican, and Mr. Erdogan had some unpleasant, if not insulting words vis a vis the Spiritual Leader of more than 1,3 Billions of People Worldwide, (f.ex. accusing him of "Delirium", etc), while the Italian Police has just reportedly uncovered an Extremist Islamist Terrorist Complot to Attack inter alia also the Pope and various other Targets throughout Italy.

+ A similar row was reportedly provoked also against Austria, from which Turkey withdrew its Ambassador too... In addition, an even much more Negative and gravely Slandering Turkish Reaction, from Ankara's Foreign Ministry, was launched, surprisingly, against Russia, - f.ex. accusing it even for ... so-called "Mass Murders" (sic!), in the Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe - just because Moscow's Foreign Ministry had simply reiterated Russian President Vladimir Putin's traditional stance for the Armenian Genocide, ... A strabge Fact, which might reveal that Ankara is currently very "Nervous", perhaps  fearing some More possible Moves on the still Open issue of the Turkish Negationism vis a vis the Armenian Genocide, particularly as long as the New EU Parliament, as it has emerged from the May 2014 EU Elections, has not yet pronounced itself on the Exceptionaly Delayed Annual Report about Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid...

Ankara's Government simply reacted, earlier this Month, to another EU Parliament's Resolution on the Armenian Genocide Recognition, by accusing a large Majority of MEPs to abuse of ... "Hate Speech" (sic !)..

++ At the Same Time, French Police arrested another suspect Islamist, reportedly equiped with 4 Arms, amunitions, etc., and having already killed a women allegedly  in order to use her Car in planned Attacks against certain Christian Churchs, these same Days during which the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was more and more present in various Churches throughout Europe, ec. In addition, that suspect, who had suddenly found a lot of Money a few Months ago, allowing him to set up a whole cover-up with a false "University Student" identity, a cosy Room in downtown Paris, a Car and a pretty Pavillon at its Southern Suburbs where he reportedly visited his Girl-Friend, a converted Muslim wearing always a Black "Burka", etc, had just visited and stayed recently, twice, (both at the End of 2014 and on February 2015), in Turkey...

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+ Dardanelles' (alias Galipoli) Campaign
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Turkish President Erdogan made a big Publicity this year for a so-called "Dardanelles" or "Galipoli" battle, (according to the Ancient Greek Names of the area, controlled in the Past by Ancient Troia), which was fought in the Straights from February 1915 until a few Days after the Beginning of the Armenian Genocide (25 April being the Date chosen by Ankara, i.e. the Day After the Genocide's start, with a notorious order to arrest and eliminate at first a list of Armenian Intellecturals, politicians, journalists, scientists, artists, businesmen, etc) :

Indeed, he Refused Armenian President Sargysian's invitation to participate at Yerevan's Centenary Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide under the pretect that, the Next Day, Turkey was going to celebrate its "Galipoli"/"Dardanelles" "victory", as Ankara's regime considers a Battle for the Respect of International Law and Freedom of Navigation at the Straights, which had been triggered at 1915 by Turkey's Blockade of the Access to the Black Sea, followed by Military Attacks against Russia at Odessa and Sebastopol Seaports, in an attempt to practically Destroy the Russian Fleet.

But, in fact, the final result was due rather a beginning of a Division inside the Anglosaxon camp, between those who wanted to pursue the original Plan to pass throughout the Straights until to reach and liberate the over-Millenary (330 - 1.453) former Capital of the Greek Christian Empire of Byzantium ; Constantinople City from  4 Centuries of Ottoman-Turkish Military Invasion and Occupation (1453 - 1915), as, f.ex., both the initial Chief of the European Allies' Naval operation, as well as the then Young British Officer, Baron Keyes of Zeebruge and Dover, (who became later Famous for winning the Zeebruge Battle against NAZI forces from the beginning of the 2nd World War, and had anew, even at 69 Years of age, presented an Innovative Plan to simplify and launch more frrequently Modern Inter-Army integrated operations, which was, unfortunately, shelved again, because it was considered as Too Modern, as world-famous French General De Gaule's own Plans of that period, who knew and appreciated Baron Keyes), and those who wanted to drop it, either entirely, or at least for a moment, until they add also a Terrestrial Landing, later on, which gave Time to Turkey to bring more soldiers and amunitions.

While, just after the first Naval Thrust of the European Allies from Great Britain, France, etc., in fact (according to Baron Keyes and other Officer's views) they had succeeded to Open the Road towards Constantinople, the Turkish Army having been practicaly Neutralized, its Telecommunications Cut and its AmunitionsE Exhausted, a subsequent loss of certain French and English Ships beng rather due to some Mines left by mainly  by a few Turkish Civilians using makeshift Boats and having already run away...

However, on the contrary, a Negative outcome was provoked, as said, mainly by an over-Pessimistic estimation by Other British Officers, and a controversial French Prime Minister of those times, (who served only a Few Months, during which started the 1st World War, the Armenian Genocide, the Galipoli retreat in front of Turkish troops, etc. : i.e. René Viviani, of the "Socialist-Republican Party", which later forged the "Union of Republican Socialists"  including even ... pro-NAZI Marcel Deat and his "NeoSocialists" Collaborationists of the NAZI Occupation, known for his "Totalitarian" political aims, that even Petain hesitated to adopt)...

NB : => If Young Churchill-inspired Dardanelles Campaign has been pursued until its initial aim to liberate Constantinople had been achieved, (as Baron Keyes of Zeebruge and Dover, one of the most innovative British Army Officers, with Experience from China's Boxer War until the 2nd World War, had vainly called for), then, the Armenian Genocide could have been Stopped in 1 Day, and most of Western Europe would have remained United with Russia, since the Strategic, GeoPolitical aim of that Franco-Brittish move was to respond to Turkish Aggression against Odessa and Sebastopol Seaports (at nowadays South-Eastern Ukraine and Crimea) searching to Destroy the Russian Fleet of the Black Sea, which protected the only available then Maritime link of Russia  to the rest of the European Continent.

In other words, we wouldn't have had  neither the Armenian Genocide from 1915-1920, nor the Massacre of Greek overmillenary Civilian Populations of nearby Smyrne and Pontos on 1921-1922, or the Constantinople "Pogroms" of 1955+, the Hanging of elected Prime Minister Menderes (of Ukranian Tatar origin) on 1960 by Turkish Army Putchists, nor the Turkish Military Invasion-Occupation of the Northern part of Cyprus since 1974-2015, the Greco-Turkish Tension undermining for long NATO's Eastern flanc, or the Bloody Kurdish Conflict of 1984-2015, nor the controversial and unpopular Turkish EU-bid of 1999, which provoked 3 "NO" to EuroReferenda in France, the Netherlands and Ireland between 2005-2007, Rejecting EU's Constitution and Delaying the Integration of €uroZone which arrived Unprepared at the 2008-2014 Global Crisis, and probably neither the Deadly and Destructive Ukranian Conflict of Today (2014-2015) !

>>>  Thus, Today, one could say that, in fact, Europeans owe a thousand of "Thanks", to nowadays Turkish President, Mr. Erdogan, for unwillingly Reminiding to Europe, (by Celebrating this year the Galipoli Clash, 1 Day after the Centenary of Armenian Genocide's Start !), that its History could have been much Better, Peaceful, Democratic  and well Developed, if nothing had Hindered at the last minute, the on-going then process of Dissolution of the former Ottoman-Turk Empire, (as it happened also, mutatis-mutandis, in Europe for the Austro-Hongrian, French or British Empires, all dissolved, giving way to the emerging then "Modern" Nation-States everywhere ).

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