Cyprus Defense Minister: We expect entire democratic world to  recognize and condemn  Armenian Genocide in  Ottoman Empire

ArmInfo. Cyprus expects that the entire democratic world will recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, as noted in a statement by Cyprus Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas.

"April 24th was established as "Memorial Day of the Armenian  Genocide".  We pay tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians who met  tragic death because of their systematic extermination by the New  Turks.  We also honor all others who were forcefully expelled from  their ancestral homes.  The Armenian genocide is the first organized  population extermination in the 20th century, with victims by the  Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire.  Cyprus became the first  European country and the second in the world to recognize the  Armenian Genocide, on April 24, 1975.  We hope we will not experience  crimes against humanity of such magnitude again and we expect that  the entire democratic world will recognize and condemn them," Vasilis  Palmas wrote.