Turkish parliament rejects Armenian Genocide recognition bill
A draft law submitted by Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish Parliament representing the Peoples’ Democratic Party, 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” has been rejected by the Parliament Speaker’s Office, Asbarez reported.
According to the reports, in the rejection letter signed by Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman, the draft law submitted by Garo Paylan has been described as “rude and hurtful” and the statements of Paylan have been referred to as “insult to your own country” and “against our national consciousness and history.”
To remind, Paylan's proposal submitted on April 20 included the recognition of mass deportation and massacres that took place in 1915 as a genocide and that April 24 be accepted as the official date for commemoration of the Genocide victims. Furthermore, Paylan asked that parliament confer citizenship on the descendants of those who were forced to leave Turkey or were deported because of the events.