European MP under fire over refraining from `genocide` term
Ria Oomen-Ruijten, a Dutch member of the European
Parliament and rapporteur on Turkey, has been threatened by the
Armenian lobby after he did not describe as genocide the alleged
mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 in his
recently released report.
The document is due to be adopted in the legislature on March 11. Oomen-Ruijten did not use the "genocide" term in two reports that he issued on Turkey, which angered the Armenian community and prompted it to launch counter-moves.
In a statement released in response to the Armenian criticism, Oomen-Ruijten said his office was receiving a slew of letters filled with threats.
"The Armenian lobby is doing everything in its power to prevent my re-election to the European Parliament," he said.
The MP further insisted that he would not alter his report, emphasizing that it equally favored the Turks and Armenians. The document welcomed Turkish President Abdullah Gul`s visit to Armenia to attend a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match along with his counterpart in Yerevan in September 2008, adding that following this step, the border between the two countries was expected to be reopened.
It is also indicative that the report noted that the Armenian lobby in the United States and Europe was not interested in re-opening the border.
Armenia and Turkey currently maintain no diplomatic ties while the border between the two countries has remained closed since 1993. However, there have recently been signs of normalization in Ankara-Yerevan ties. Following Abdullah Gul`s visit, which was the first time the Turkish president visited Armenia, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian traveled to Turkey and the Azerbaijani, Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers held a trilateral meeting in New York.
The document is due to be adopted in the legislature on March 11. Oomen-Ruijten did not use the "genocide" term in two reports that he issued on Turkey, which angered the Armenian community and prompted it to launch counter-moves.
In a statement released in response to the Armenian criticism, Oomen-Ruijten said his office was receiving a slew of letters filled with threats.
"The Armenian lobby is doing everything in its power to prevent my re-election to the European Parliament," he said.
The MP further insisted that he would not alter his report, emphasizing that it equally favored the Turks and Armenians. The document welcomed Turkish President Abdullah Gul`s visit to Armenia to attend a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match along with his counterpart in Yerevan in September 2008, adding that following this step, the border between the two countries was expected to be reopened.
It is also indicative that the report noted that the Armenian lobby in the United States and Europe was not interested in re-opening the border.
Armenia and Turkey currently maintain no diplomatic ties while the border between the two countries has remained closed since 1993. However, there have recently been signs of normalization in Ankara-Yerevan ties. Following Abdullah Gul`s visit, which was the first time the Turkish president visited Armenia, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian traveled to Turkey and the Azerbaijani, Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers held a trilateral meeting in New York.
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