06 09 26 - THE EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION DENOUNCES THE TURKISH PRESSURE ON THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

- The Socialist and Liberal groups demand to suppress the paragraph on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a precondition to the adhesion of Turkey.
- Under the pressure exercised by Turkey, the Socialist and Liberal groups - while being the two principal promoters of the paragraph in question during the vote of September 4 in the Committee on Foreign Affairs - have performed an about turn by submitting an amendment which aims to suppress the
precondition. These amendments do not enjoy the unanimity of their groups.


"Turkey has imposed these amendments by intimidating certain members of the two groups.
Several parliamentarians close to the file have even been personally threatened" declared Hilda Tchoboian, the president of the European Armenian Federation.


"Turkey, while not in Europe, is attempting to revert and direct the political line of our European representatives and is imposing its denial.
The recognition of the genocide as a precondition to the adhesion was adopted in the same terms in the resolution of September 2005. We warn against this risky strategy which will offend the European nations in order "not to offend" a state which is definitively negationist" concluded Hilda Tchoboian.

EUROPEAN ARMENIAN FEDERATION

for Justice and Democracy
Avenue de la Renaissance 10
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel: +322 732 70 26
Tel/Fax: +322 732 70 27
Email: contact@eafjd.org

V.V