The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide today, where it calls Turkey to come to terms with its past and recognise the Armenian Genocide. 

“The European Parliament on the eve of the centenary pays tribute to the memory of the one-and-a-half million innocent Armenian victims who perished in the Ottoman Empire; joins the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide in a spirit of European solidarity and justice; calls on the Commission and the Council to join in the commemoration” - the resolution says. 

The adopted text also recalls its resolution of 18 June 1987 in which inter alia it recognised that the tragic events that took place in 1915-1917 against the Armenians in the territory of the Ottoman Empire represent a genocide as defined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948. 

The resolution pays tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of all genocides and crimes committed against humanity and proposes that an International Remembrance Day for Genocides be established. 

The EP welcomes the statements by the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, offering condolences and recognising atrocities against the Ottoman Armenians as a step in the right direction. At the same time EU Parliament encourages Turkey to use the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide as an important opportunity to continue its efforts, including the opening of the archives, to come to terms with its past, to recognise the Armenian Genocide and thus to pave the way for a genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples. 

The resolution also urges Turkey and Armenia to proceed to a normalisation of their relations by ratifying and implementing, without preconditions, the protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations, by opening the border and by actively improving their relations, with particular reference to cross-border cooperation and economic integration. 

The Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian hailed the adoption of the resolution. 

“The Resolution contains an important message to Turkey to use the commemoration of the Centenary of the Armenian Genocide to come to terms with its past, to recognise the Armenian Genocide and thus pave the way for a genuine reconciliation between Turkish and Armenian peoples.

By the adoption of this Resolution the European Parliament once again reaffirmed its dedication to the protection of human rights and universal values”, - the Armenian Foreign Minister said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier on Wednesday that he will disregard the result of a European Parliament vote on a resolution. In his words, Turkey was confident about what happened a century ago and everybody should know that it is not possible for Turkey to accept [having committed] such a crime.

Mediamax recalls that on 12 March, 2015, the European Parliament adopted the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the world 2013, where it called on EU Member States and EU institutions to recognize the Armenian Genocide.