YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) announced that Cem Ozdemir, an individual Member of the German Parliament who is of Turkish descent, and the German Bundestag collectively will be honored with the 2016 ANCA-WR Freedom Award for their courage in resisting pressure from the Turkish government to introduce and pass a resolution formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the Committee informed “Armenpress”.

“Cem Ozdemir and the German Bundestag are well-deserving of our highest praise for their courage in shepherding the Armenian Genocide resolution through successful passage even in the face of unimaginable pressure from their past and current ally, the denialist Turkish government. Their honesty and transparency in accepting responsibility for their own predecessors’ complicity in this unpunished crime is truly commendable as it empowers the truth and facilitates justice. It is our sincere hope and expectation that U.S. executives and lawmakers will take the example of their German counterparts by acknowledging the noteworthy American role in rescuing hundreds of thousands of Armenian Genocide survivors rather than allowing a foreign Turkish government to dictate the policies of the United States with empty threats of retaliation for speaking the truth and demanding accountability to the victims and their descendants” ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian said.

Cem Ozdemir has expressed his deep gratitude to the ANCA-WR for being the recipient of the Freedom Award and will accept it via video presentation at the Banquet on October 16.