Passions rising over draft statement "On condemnation of the genocide of Greeks and Assyrians in Ottoman Turkey" in Armenian Parliament

 Passions are rising over the draft statement "On condemnation of the genocide of Greeks and Assyrians in Ottoman Turkey" in the Armenian Parliament. 

Today, a verbal duel occurred between Heritage MP Zaruhi Postanjyan and Head of the Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs, RPA member Artak Zakaryan during the Commission's session, which was considering the draft statement. In particular, Postanjyan expressed her discontent with the fact that the lawmakers did not support her draft statement "On recognition and condemnation of Ottoman Turkey's genocidal policy against Greeks, Assyrians, Yazidis and other national and religious minorities as a grave crime against humanity". She blamed the RPA members for plagiarism, because "they have stolen her idea and elaborated their own document on its basis". Postanjyan was particularly indignant at the fact that the new version of the statement says nothing about the genocide of Yazidis.            

Today the "Sinjar" Yazidi National Union protested against the Armenian National Assembly's draft statement condemning the genocide of Greeks and Assyrians in Ottoman Turkey in 1914-23.  

Sinjar is displeased with the fact that the document does not mention the genocide of Yazidis that took place in the early 20th century in Ottoman Turkey. "Only 14,000 out of 200,000 families of the Yazidis living in the Ottoman Empire before 1914 survived. Later, the persecution against the Yazidis continued because they were blamed for hiding Armenian refugees in their houses. Why does the legislative body of Armenia forget these facts? Is the fact of the genocide of Yazidis disadvantageous from the viewpoint of the Armenian foreign policy?"  In this light, Sinjar urges the authors of the draft statement "On condemnation of the genocide of Greeks and Assyrians in Ottoman Turkey in 1914-23" to include a provision about the genocide of Yazidis in the document. "Otherwise, we will perceive it as discrimination against Yazidi people", they say.   

ArmInfo's correspondent has asked Eduard Sharmazanov, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, co- author of the specified draft statement to comment on the Yazidi organization's statement. Sharmazanov says that the genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians in Ottoman Turkey cannot be considered emotionally. According to him, when elaborating the document, its authors studied all the facts, the relevant Convention of the UN, the resolution the International Association of Genocide Scholars took in 2007. The resolution says that a genocide of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians was committed in Ottoman Turkey in the early 20th century and it features numerous facts, particularly, the documents of the Thessalonica Forum and letters of Taleat and Enver. "The same International Association of Genocide Scholars considered in 2007 the issue of possible genocide of Yazidis in Ottoman Turkey in early XX century but found no documents substantiating it. If there are any facts confirming the genocide of Yazidis in Ottoman Turkey in early XX century, let the Yazidi community present them and we will recognize and condemn the genocide of Yazidis as well. I have repeatedly applied to the Yazidi community, however, I have received no such documents so far", says Sharmazanov. He stresses that if the Parliament adopts a resolution, it should be substantiated and flawless in all aspects. He adds that in 2015 Yerevan will host the forum of the International Association of Genocide Scholars and if the Yazidi community has some documents confirming the fact of the genocide of Yazidis in Ottoman Turkey in early XX century, it can present them at that Forum.  

To note, earlier MP from Heritage Party Zaruhi Postanjyan submitted a similar draft statement, which reflected on the genocide of Yazidis as well and the Yazidi community of Armenia supported that draft statement. However, the MPs from the ruling Republican Party of Armenia said that the document had inaccuracies and rejected it.