Law Draft Submitted for Recognition of Armenian Genocide

Photograph: Halil Sağırkaya / Ankara / AA

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Garo Paylan has submitted a law draft to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for the "Recognition of Armenian Genocide", "Removal of the Names of Genocide Perpetrators from Public Places" and "Amendment to Turkish Citizenship Law."

In the general preamble of the law draft, it has been stated, "According to a census conducted in 1914, approximately two million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire. At the night of April 24, 1915, around 250 Armenian intellectuals, including MPs and writers were arrested in İstanbul."

In the preamble, it has also been indicated, "After these people were sent into exile in Ayaş and Çankırı, the vast majority of them were killed. Among the ones sent into exile and killed were Dr. Nazaret Dağavaryan (MP of Ottoman Empire), Armen Doryan (poet and journalist), Şavarş Krisyan (editor of the sports magazine Marmnamarz), Levon Larents (poet), Rupen Sevag (poet), Yenovk Şahen (theater artist), Siamanto [Atom Yarcanyan] (poet), Hagop Terziyan (pharmacist and writer), Taniel Varujan (poet), Krikor Yesayan (teacher and translator), Rupen Zartaryan (writer and poet), Diran Kelekyan (writer and Professor of Turkish language) and Krikor Zohrab (MP of Ottoman Empire and writer). (PT/SD)