Turkish Lawyer Demands Recognition of Assyrian, Armenian Genocide

(AINA) -- The recognition of the genocide in 1915 from the Swedish parliament and the U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee gives courage to civilian forces in Turkey. At the same time Carl Bildt and Fredrik Reinfeldt gave a shameless apology of the Swedish Parliamentary decision. While Carl Bildt and Fredrik Reinfeldt take same side as the deniers of the genocide, the lawyer Celil Ezman does the contrary.

Today, one of Turkey's largest daily newspapers, Milliyet, wrote that the lawyer Celil Ezman, who is a member of the Bar Council of Ankara, has submitted an application to a court asking for a recognition of the 1915 genocide and removing all streets called after the genocide's architect, Talat Pasha.

Celil Ezman believes that Turkey must come to terms with its history, recognize the genocide and apologize for it.

"In 1915 Turks planned and carried out genocide on Armenians," says Ezman. "The actions of the members in the Talat Pasha Committee are according to Turkish law a crime against humanity. In 1915 they systematically committed genocide against Armenians. Bogazliyans ruler (kaymakam) Kemal Bey, who was executed for mass murders on Armenian civilians, was sentenced to death by a Turkish court 1919."

Kemal Ataturk, later in 1923, declared Kemal Bey to a martyr. His statue has to be demolished, said Celil Ezman to the newspaper.

The case is the first of its kind in Turkey and is expected to draw much attention. When questioned about reprisals, Celil Ezman responded that "it cannot be helped, if something happens, it is God's will."

By Dikran Ego