Reply to “Armenians in Dhaka”

I have read the article titled “Armenians in Dhaka” by Adnan Morshed published on June  9, 2016 in your respected newspaper.

Turkey does not deny the suffering of Armenians, along with all constituent communities of the Ottoman Empire, during the First World War. This is acknowledged in Turkey on various occasions at the highest level.

However, Armenian suffering should not be isolated from the suffering of other communities of the Empire. The common tragedy experienced during World War by the Muslim and Armenian populations of the Ottoman Empire should be studied without politicisation or prejudice.

Indeed, the term “genocide” denotes a clearly defined crime with specific conditions of proof. It was first legally defined by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. As genocide is a crime and a very narrow legal term which is difficult to prove, it can only be assessed and established in accordance with the rules of international criminal law and by a competent court which is internationally recognised. There is no judgment in which a competent court made such an assessment with regard to the events of 1915.

A parliament is not authorised to hand down decisions about controversial historical incidents like a court. In this vein, the resolution adopted by the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany on June 2 2016 concerning the events of 1915 lacks legal basis. By adopting such a resolution, the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany has acted against the legally binding observations of the European Court of Human Rights, which clearly states that:

- the Armenian narrative do not reflect the absolute truth and can be discussed freely;

- the opinions questioning the Armenian narrative are under the absolute protection of the freedom of speech;

- and no parallels can be drawn between the events of 1915 and the Holocaust.

The Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany interprets history arbitrarily, without taking into account the law.