Spain’s Betera recognizes Armenian Genocide

March 17, 2015 - 13:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The plenary council of the City Hall of Betera, Spain, has officially recognized the Armenian Genocide, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said in a Facebook post, according to Panorama.am.

The decision states that massacres and deportations took place in 1915-1921 on the territory of present-day Turkey, particularly under the Young Turks rule, during which 1.5 million Armenians were killed, and another two million were forced to leave their homes and find refuge all over the world, forming the Armenian Diaspora.

The City Hall of Betera officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide, and condemns the crimes against humanity that were perpetrated during that period.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.