EP Resolutions: What has Changed?

12:04     17 April, 2015

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament (EP) on Wednesday, April 15, was a wake-up call both for the Europeans and the whole world. With the resolution the EP is calling on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide. The resolution refers to another EP resolution of 18 June 1987 on a political solution to the Armenian question, saying that the previous  resolution "inter alia recognized that the tragic events that took place in 1915-1917 against the Armenians in the territory of the Ottoman Empire represent a genocide as defined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948".

The resolution stresses the fact that "2015 marks the centennial of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire", thus "paying tribute to the memory of the one-and-a-half million innocent Armenian victims who perished in the Ottoman Empire". The Parliament also joins the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian Genocide "in a spirit of European solidarity and justice and calls on the Commission and the Council to join in the commemorations".

Mentioning that an increasing number of Member States and national parliaments recognize the Armenian Genocide, the resolution stresses that  "prevention and effective punishment of genocides and crimes against humanity should be among the main priorities of the international community and the European Union".

The MEPs call on Armenia and Turkey to "to use examples of successful reconciliation between European nations and to focus on an agenda that puts cooperation between peoples first", use links between civil society and supports respective "initiatives between Turkey and Armenia working towards the normalization of relations".

The EU parliamentarians urged the Zurich 2009 protocols to be back on table. They voted that Armenia and Turkey "without preconditions" should ratify and implement, "the protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations, opening the border" as well as improve their relations, "with particular reference to cross-border cooperation and economic integration."

The EU parliament encourages Ankara to open its archives "using the commemoration of the centenary of the Armenian genocide as an important opportunity", "come to terms with its past" as well as recognize the genocide.

The European Parliament welcomes the statements of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in their offering of condolences and recognizing the atrocities as a step in a right direction.

After all, paying tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of all genocides and crimes committed against humanity, the resolution invites the nations to establish an International Remembrance Day for Genocides.

Meanwhile this resolution is different from the previous one - those of 1987 on a political solution to the Armenian question, by being more precise and encompassing more stressed condemnations. The resolution clearly stresses the word Genocide and is not afraid to condemn it. While, in 1987 the MEPs recognized that "the Armenian side regards these events as planned genocide within the meaning of the 1948 UN Convention" and "the Turkish State rejects the charge of genocide as unfounded". 

It should also be mentioned that the 1987 resolution is mainly the achievement of Mr Henry Saby, the Vice-chair of the European Socialists at that times.

The European Parliament Resolutions, are not legally binding, suggesting a political desire to act in a given area. These instruments enable the European institutions to suggest guidelines for coordination of national legislations or administrative practices in a non-binding manner and without any legal obligations for the addressees - Member States and/or citizens.