Today in Brussels, the S&D Group welcomed the European Parliament's resolution on the centenary of the Armenian genocide, joining its commemoration in a spirit of European solidarity and justice.
S&D vice-chair responsible for foreign affairs, Knut Fleckenstein, said:
"We condemn all occurrences of crimes against humanity and genocide and strongly deplore any attempts to deny them.
"We pay tribute to the memory of the one-and-a-half million innocent Armenian victims who perished in the Ottoman Empire
"The tragic events that took place between 1915 and 1917 against the Armenians in the territory of the Ottoman Empire represent a genocide as defined by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948.
"We welcome the statements of the president of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the prime minister of the Republic of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu, offering their condolences and recognising atrocities against the Ottoman Armenians, as a step in a right direction.
"We encourage the Turkish authorities to use the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian genocide as an opportunity for Turkey to continue its efforts, including the opening of the archives, to come to terms with its past, to recognise the Armenian genocide and thus pave the way for a genuine reconciliation between the people of Turkey and Armenia."
S&D MEP and vice-president for foreign affairs Victor Boştinaru added:
"Today, we pay tribute to the memory of the innocent Ottoman Armenians who were victims of the atrocities perpetuated in the WWI.
"I would also like to reiterate the call on Turkey and Armenia to ratify and implement the 2009 Zurich protocols and to take all necessary steps to normalise the relations between both nations.
"It is of utmost importance that we keep the memories of the past alive in order to help prevent new conflicts and build a brighter future but it is as important to emphasise the need to prevent using this event to serve different political agendas; all parties must continue to work towards reconciliation."
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