ARMENIANS SEEK LAND, RECOGNITION.Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer Thousands of Armenian-Americans protested in front of the Turkish Consulate Consulate, 1799–1804, in French history, form of government established after the coup of 18 Brumaire (Nov. 9–10, 1799), which ended the Directory. on Monday, demanding that the country recognize the 1915 genocide genocide, in international law, the intentional and systematic destruction, wholly or in part, by a government of a national, racial, religious, or ethnic group. of their people. But the protesters, marching on the day when Armenians commemorate the genocide every year, also had other demands beyond Turkey's recognition of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in the former Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire (ŏt`əmən), vast state founded in the late 13th cent. by Turkish tribes in Anatolia and ruled by the descendants of Osman I until its dissolution in 1918. . Alleging that historically Armenian lands were stolen during the genocide, protesters chanted, ``Eastern Turkey is Western Armenia'' and ``Get your hands off my lands.'' Police estimated that up to 3,000 demonstrators took part in Monday's protest at the Turkish Consulate. ``They want recognition first of all,'' said Ani Garibyan, spokeswoman for the Armenian Youth Federation The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) (Armenian: Հայ Երիտասարդաց Դաշնակցութիւն , which organized the demonstration. ``They also want the land that they lost and the houses they lost. And Turkey needs to pay up as well, just like Germany has been doing to the Jewish (Holocaust) survivors and their families.'' Turkey contends there was no genocide of Armenians and they are not willing to pay reparations reparations, payments or other compensation offered as an indemnity for loss or damage. Although the term is used to cover payments made to Holocaust survivors and to Japanese Americans interned during World War II in so-called relocation camps (and used as well to or hand over land. ``Can anybody give any land to anybody today? In today's world it's not possible,'' said Engin Ansay, consul general consul general n. pl. consuls general Abbr. CG A consul of the highest rank serving at a principal location and usually responsible for other consular offices within a country. of Turkey in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Turkey's position does not sit well with protesters like Lida Zohrabyan, 47, of Glendale. But she could not say how much of the land should be returned. ``That's our politicians' matter,'' she said. ``But we want justice.'' alex.dobuzinskis@dailynews.com (818) 546-3304 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Thousands of Armenian-Americans protest in front of the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles on Monday, demanding that Turkey acknowledge mass killings of Armenians beginning in 1915 and calling for the return of lands they say were seized. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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