Plenary meeting of Cyprus’ House of Representatives (Photo: Parliament of Cyprus)

NICOSIA, Cyprus (Famagusta Gazette)—The Parliament in Cyprus has condemned the Armenian Genocide, calling on the international community to acknowledge the genocide.

Addressing the House of Representatives at the start of the plenary session, Speaker Demetris Syllouris said that even if more than a century have gone by since the Armenian Genocide of 24th April 1915 when Turkey applied an ethnic cleansing plan against Armenians, Turkey refuses to acknowledge the murder of one and a half million Armenians.

The House, said Syllouris,was among the first parliaments in the world and the first one in Europe to acknowledge and condemn in 1975 the Armenian genocide, demanding the restoration of the historic truth.

In addition, the Cyprus Parliament approved in 1990, in a unanimous vote, to commemorate the genocide on 24th April and it also passed a resolution penalising denial of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, modifying existing legislation, which required prior conviction by an international court to make denial a crime.

The House of Representatives, reiterates its appeal to the international community, to recognize and condemn the Armenian genocide, Syllouris added.

On his part, the representative of the Armenian in the House, Vartkes Mahtesian said those guilty of the Armenian Genocide remain unpunished.

Addressing the House, he said “for over 100 years, we have been seeking justification, not revenge, and the complete acknowledgement of indisputable historic facts regarding this drama.”

We call on the great forces who call themselves guardians of the international law, to force Turkey to undertake its responsibilities in the modern world and to acknowledge the crimes it has committed.