The Bulgarian Parliament passed a resolution recognizing the mass extermination of Armenians that occurred within the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1922. The vote passed with 157 votes in favor and 36 against, leading the Parliament to declare April 24th a Victims Remembrance Day. The resolution asserted that the extermination of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire is substantiated by undeniable historical facts and authentic documents.
Furthermore, the text stipulated that Bulgaria differentiates between the historical legacy of the Ottoman Empire and that of the Republic of Turkey, while welcoming dialogue between Turkey and Armenia regarding historical truth. The context of the resolution references the systematic killing of an estimated one and a half million Armenians. This historical event is framed against differing national claims: Yerevan defines the event as genocide, while Turkish authorities maintain that deaths were not deliberately sought, admitting to losses of up to 500,000 people due to sporadic conflict and starvation.
Political statements during the debate highlighted the sensitivity of the issue. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov emphasized that the recognition of the mass extermination of the Armenians was a Bulgarian declaration. While the resolution utilized the phrase “mass extermination,” the proceedings were marked by differing political viewpoints regarding the scope and terminology of the historical tragedy.
The debate also noted that an opinion poll conducted by Gallup International indicated that a significant portion of the Bulgarian population was unaware of the genocide.
Topics: #ottoman #armenians #genocide
