Bulgaria Scraps Armenian Genocide Declaration Once Again

Volen Siderov, leader of Bulgaria’s far-right, nationalist Ataka party. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Parliament did not support the fifth consecutive attempt on behalf of the far-right Ataka (Attack) party to pass a declaration recognizing the Ottoman Empire's genocide against Armenians (1915-1922).

On Wednesday, Ataka leader Volen Siderov pointed out that it was completely normal for "a patriotic party like his" to support the recognition of the Armenian genocide.

"To hide certain events from your history because they are bad for you as a country is demagogy in my opinion," Siderov pointed out.

Lyutvi Mestan, a key MP from the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms party, opposed Ataka's suggestion, stating that the Parliament was not an institution that should determine historical truths as the highest instance.

"The Bulgarian Parliament should not deal with that topic," Mestan declared.

According to Bulgaria's last census, some 600 000 ethnic Turks live in the country, forming the country's largest minority. Armenians, though considerably fewer in number, are also among Bulgaria's significant minorities.

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