SAMPLE LETTER TO EUROPARLIAMENT MEMBERS

Dear Europarliament Member:

I am writing to encourage you to support amendments regarding the Armenian Genocide during discussions of the "Report on Turkey’s Application for Accession to the European Union," (Report A5-02-97/2000, by Philippe Morillon).

As you are aware, Article I, Subparagraph 4 of Resolution A2-33/87 stipulates that the European Parliament considers Turkey's refusal to recognize the genocide committed against the Armenian people by the 'young Turk' government; refusal to apply standards of International law in their disagreements with Greece; continued military occupation of Cyprus; refusal to recognize Kurdish rights; absence of true parliamentary democracy; and failure to respect individual and collective freedoms, particularly those dealing with religious rights to constitute insurmountable obstacles to even the examination of possible accession by Turkey into the European Community.

As such, I urge you, as an official charged with defending commonly held democratic values, to support amendments to Mr. Morillon's prepared report dealing with the Armenian Genocide.

The facts of the Armenian Genocide are thoroughly documented in the archives of Europe (Austrian, German, French, British, and others), as well as those of the United States and Russia. All these documents record the systematic and deliberate extermination of one and a half million Armenians in the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Efforts to encourage Turkey to face this historical reality will help move forward the process of democratization in that nation. It will, as well, provide moral support for those courageous voices in Turkey who have taken a stand against the official government's campaign to deny this crime against humanity. By ensuring that recognition of the Armenian Genocide remains a condition of Turkey's accession we will also be helping to guarantee that Turkey understands its contemporary obligations to protect both the human and collective community rights of its minority populations. Finally, taking this step will help encourage Turkey to abandon its failed eight-year policy of blockading Armenia as a means of pressuring the Armenian people to retreat from their efforts to secure international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. This blockade is a violation of international law and represents a serious obstacle to a durable peace in the Caucasus.

Thank you for your attention to my concerns.

Sincerely yours,

Name