Austrian Parliament recognizes and condemns Armenian Genocide (video)
Australian lawmakers have condemned and recognized as ‘genocide’ the slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I. Addressing the parliament sitting on April 22, Parliament President Doris Bures said “April 24, 1915 marks the beginning of persecutions and arrests of Armenian intellectuals and leaders, which ended in genocide.” After her speech Austrian lawmakers observed a minute’s silence for the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide. The leaders of the country’s six major parties also issued a statement declaring that Austria, as a former ally of the Ottoman Empire, had a “duty to recognize and condemn these horrific events as genocide.” They called on Turkey – which does not accept the highly sensitive term – to take responsibility for its role in the mass murders. “It is Turkey’s duty to face the dark and painful chapter of its past and recognise the crimes committed against Armenians under the Ottoman empire as genocide,” the statement read. The sitting was attended by Armenian Ambassador to Austria, Arman Kirakosyan. After the sitting, the latter met with the leaders of the six parties and thanked them for the important move.
