Bulgarian MPs to Discuss Recognition of Armenian Genocide

Desislav Chukolov, Deputy Chair of Bulgarian nationalist party Ataka, photo by BGNES. f

The Bulgarian Parliament will discuss on Friday a motion on whether to recognise the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a genocide.

The proposal, which was tabled by the deputy chairperson of the nationalist Ataka party Desislav Chukolov on Wednesday, was supported by 105 MPs, while 31 voted against and 41 abstained.

Initially, the proposal was rejected, as it garnered 72 votes in favour, while 31 MPs voted against and 55 abstained, daily Dnevnik reports.

Following a re-voting, the MPs agreed to discuss the issue as first point on the parliamentary agenda on Friday.

The debate will take place on the day, when Armenians commemorate the mass killings of Ottoman Armenians in 1915 and this year will mark the centenary of the events.

Chukolov pointed that the European Parliament recently called for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which has been recognised by many European countries.

The MP reminded that his party has been attempting to pass the motion in the past ten years, but has not managed to garner enough votes in favour.

The discussion in the Bulgarian Parliament comes at a time, when the West has renewed its call on Turkey to recognise the mass killings as genocide.

Pope Francis described the killings of Ottoman Armenians as the “first genocide of the 20^th century”, while the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on Turkey to recognise the genocide.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu responded by announcing that Turkey will commemorate the Armenian victims of the Ottoman killings, but refrained from recognising the crimes as constituting a genocide.

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