ARMENIAN AND GREEK AMERICAN ACTIVISTS OF NEW YORK CITY OUTRAGED OVER MCMAHON’S EFFORTS TO PROFIT FROM VOTE AGAINST GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

For Immediate Release: March 29th, 2010

Contact: Nikolaos Taneris, New York, Tel. 1-917-699-9935

NEW YORK— The Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA) picketed Congressman
Michael McMahon's (D-NY-13) March 27th Turkish fundraiser in New York. Activists
and community members of local Greek-American groups are outraged that McMahon
accepts Turkish blood money. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
has issued a press release and a grassroots you tube video covering this action.
The ANCA has participated in the Greek-Cypriot July 20th demonstrations outside
the Turkish Embassy in Washington DC to mark the criminal Turkish invasion of
Cyprus. Armenian ANCA activists have also been very active in Pontian Greek
Genocide recognition, joining several lectures with George Mavropoulos of the
Pontian Greek Society in Chicago on genocide recognition, including a joint
event in San Diego at the National Council for the Social Studies in Dec. 07 on
the "Forgotten Genocides." Visit www.anca.org and do a search on the Pontian
genocide you will find several events that they have done together with the
Greek American community on issues of human rights and justice for Turkey’s
crimes against humanity.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THE FOLLOWING VIDEO AND PRESS RELEASE TO ALL GREEK CYPRIOT AND
GREEK AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND MEDIA CONTACTS AND POST ON YOUR BLOGS, FACEBOOK AND
TWITTER:

Activists Protest McMahon Effort to Cash-In on Anti-Armenian Genocide Vote

ANCAgrassroots You Tube:



ANCA PRESS RELEASE: ARMENIAN AND GREEK AMERICAN ACTIVISTS OF NEW YORK CITY
OUTRAGED OVER MCMAHON’S EFFORTS TO PROFIT FROM VOTE AGAINST GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

http://anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=1846

Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region
122 W. 27th St. 12th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: (917) 428-1918
Email. garo@anca.org
Internet www.anca.org

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2010
Contact: Garo Manjikian
Tel: (917) 428-1918

ARMENIAN AND GREEK AMERICAN ACTIVISTS OF NEW YORK CITY OUTRAGED OVER MCMAHON’S
EFFORTS TO PROFIT FROM VOTE AGAINST GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

-- Republican Congressional Candidates in NY-13 Urge Passage of Armenian
Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252)

New York, NY – Staten Island Congressman Michael McMahon's (D-NY-13) March 27th
fundraiser was picketed by local community groups outraged over his acceptance
of campaign donations from interests who backed his recent vote as a member of
the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee to block American recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.

The luncheon reception for the Congressman was held at the Ali Baba Terrace
restaurant and attracted nearly 25 guests including several members of the
Turkey's diplomatic corp. More than twice that number protested outside,
handing out thousands of fliers alerting local residents and voters about the
Congressman's voting record.

“Given the timing of the fundraiser, it’s clear that Congressman McMahon is
cashing in on his recent vote against passage of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution,” said Paul Saryian, an ANCA activist from Staten Island.
“Congressional Representatives should not be rewarded for their complicity in
genocide denial or for supporting Turkey’s current aggression towards
minorities.”


Rep. McMahon's inaction in the face of Turkey's 36-year illegal occupation of
Cyprus and silence on Turkey's repression of its Christian community prompted
broad presence by local Greek and Cypriot activist. “We are convinced that if
Turkey had been punished for its atrocities committed against Armenians, the
invasion of Cyprus and crimes committed against Greek Cypriots would have never
happened,” said Nikolaos Taneris, founder and press officer of Cyprus Action
Network of America (CANA). “With his recent vote and contributions he is
receiving by the Turkish community, McMahon is now complicit in these crimes
against humanity.”


Republican Congressional candidates Michael Allegretti and Michael Grimm, vying
for the Republican nomination to unseat Rep. McMahon in November, have pledged
support for Armenian Genocide legislation. “I urge the members of the House
Foreign Relations to stand-up and recognize the genocide, which took place
between 1915-1923. It is unspeakable that one and a half million Armenians lost
their lives in an effort to erase them from their homeland. Passage of this
resolution would be a positive step for the region,” said Allegretti, prior to
the Committee consideration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution on March 4th,
which passed by a vote of 23 to 22.

“There is no doubt that reconciliation talks between Armenia and Turkey cannot
continue in a meaningful way until all parties recognize what happened, and that
is why I urge Congressman McMahon to reconsider his position, take a more
expansive view of the global implications and do the right thing by supporting
this resolution,” said Grimm in a recently issued statement to the ANCA.

In remarks before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. McMahon used
euphemistic language to avoid proper characterization of the Ottoman Turkish
goverment's murder of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-1923. He went on to cite
support for the Turkey-Armenia Protocols - an agreement widely seen as the
Turkish Government's latest attempt to derail international recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. U.S. Department of Justice Foreign Agent Registration
records reveal that Turkey's lobbyists in Washington have contacted Rep.
McMahon's office over a dozen times of the past year to secure his support for
the initiatives. The March 27th fundraising reception was the latest in
Turkish-American efforts to support his re-election bid.

#####


--
Garo Manjikian
Armenian National Committee of America
Eastern Region Executive Director
122 W. 27th St. 12th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: (917) 428-1918
Email: garo@anca.org
--
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Cyprus Action Network of America (CANA)
2578 Broadway #132
New York, NY 10025
New York: Tel. 917-699-9935
Email: cana@cyprusactionnetwork.org
www.cyprusactionnetwork.org
========================
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