Armenian Lobby Seeks ‘Genocide’ Recognition In UK
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Support for a motion at the British House of Commons calling on the government to recognize claims of an Armenian genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire has been steadily growing, adding to worries in Ankara over worldwide efforts of the Armenian diaspora to win international recognition for allegations that it categorically denies.
The number of MPs having signed an “Early Day Motion,” or EDM, has reached 100 in the 646-member House of Commons, British parliamentary records showed. The motion, EDM 357, was tabled on Nov. 29 and first signed by Conservative Party Member of Parliament Bob Spink.
Turkey denies Armenian charges that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a systematic genocide campaign at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire during the World War I years, and said there were killings on both sides as the Ottoman Empire was trying to quell civil unrest caused by Armenian revolts in collaboration with the invading Russian army in hope of claiming part of eastern Anatolia.
Ankara is concerned over prospects for passage of a resolution in the US Congress that calls on the administration to recognize the alleged genocide and plans of the German presidency of the EU to introduce EU-wide measures against the denial of genocide and crimes against humanity have increased worries.
The EDM in question reads: “That this House believes that the killing of over a million Armenians in 1915 was an act of genocide; calls upon the UK Government to recognize it as such; and believes that it would be in Turkey’s long-term interests to do the same.”
An EDM is tabled usually for the purpose of calling for a debate on a particular subject and, since there is rarely time to debate them, the practical purpose of an EDM is considered to enable MPs to draw attention to an issue and ensure other MPs support it. Diplomatic sources say they have been following developments on this front and share their perspectives with British officials and parliamentary members at every chance possible. These sources note that there is not much of a chance that Britain will officially recognize the Armenian claims.
Ankara has been satisfied to learn that government sources reiterated to parliament members that there was insufficient evidence to mandate the official recognition of genocide claims. In addition, the motion cannot be turned directly into parliamentary decisions. Armenian circles in Britain, though, maintain the collection of MPs’ signatures will be enough to keep the subject on the British political agenda.
Similar sources note that the collection of signatures sped up in the wake of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink’s murder and that the Armenian lobby has been using Dink’s murder as a way of increasing support.
