Systematic deportations of civilians; columns of women, children and elderly marching through desolate and mountainous regions; torture and rape of women; separation and slaughter en masse of hundreds of thousands of men.

These scenes, which could be easily picked up from any current news reporting on Kosovo, are in fact from 1915 in Turkey where over 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered on the orders of the Turkish government. The genocide prompted Hitler to utter the now infamous remark: "Who talks nowdays about the destruction of the Armenians?" before embarking upon his genocidal policies against Jews and Poles. The methods of extermination of Armenians by Turkey also bear striking resemblances to those subsequently used by the Nazis in the Holocaust.

The anniversary of this tragic event is commemorated world- wide on April 24th.

The Turkish government has consistently refused to recognise the mass destruction of Armenians as "genocide" stating that the atrocities committed were not done so by the Turkish government of the time but were committed by a small political party. They have gone to great lengths to ensure other governments comply with this view. When the French National Assembly introduced a motion to recognise the 1915 events as genocide, Turkey threatened to cancel large commercial contracts and the motion was subsequently dropped by the French Senate.

The British Government has also consistently refused to recognise the events of 1915 as genocide stating that there is insufficient evidence to show that the Turkish government at the time took a specific decision to eliminate Armenians under its control. To review the current position, CSW's President Baroness Cox initiated a debate at the House of Lords asking Her Majesty's Government whether they would reconsider their position.

Lady Cox referred to the numerous independent, and sometimes pro- Turkey, diplomatic sources of the time presenting evidence of the Turkish Government's role in the massacres and atrocities. The historical evidence shows that these massacres were "a premeditated state crime, involving the army, the police force, regional and local authorities and criminals specially released from prison to carry out the killings." The Earl of Shannon added " it is a historical fact (genocide) supported by the most massive amount of evidence. There can be no argument whatever about that." In support of his argument the Earl of Shannon noted that it was the Turkish Government who notified American life insurance companies that their policy holders were now dead and that payments under the policies should be made to the Turkish State.

Promoting the importance of acknowledgement of this genocide Lord Avebury quoted Thomas Buergenthal, an Auschwitz survivor, who said " A nation has to confront its past by acknowledging the wrongs committed in its name." Various speakers agreed that it is imperative that the government of Turkey acknowledge these events for what they were. Until and unless this happens the Turks will continue to live a lie and the Armenians continue to suffer an unresolved hurt. Recognition would encourage trust, co-operation and political stability with neighbouring countries.

Drawing parallels to the tragedies of today Lady Cox closed her speech by saying, "Our century has been the century of genocides with Kosovo presenting a hideous contemporary example. If nations are allowed to commit genocide with impunity, to hide their guilt in a camouflage of lies and denials, there is real danger that other brutal regimes will be encouraged to attempt genocides. Unless we speak today of the Armenian genocide and unless the Government recognise this historical fact, we shall leave this century of unprecedented genocides with this blot on our conscience."