ANKARA (UPI)—Turkey is watching lawmakers in London as they get set to deliberate over a national day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide.
A measure is on its way to the British Parliament that if adopted would set aside an “Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.” British lawmakers are to review a draft of the measure this month.
Nilgun Canver, a council member in the London Borough of Haringey, told Turkey’s English-language daily newspaper Hurriyet that there was “no chance” the measure would pass.
Turkey pulled its ambassador to Sweden last week after Swedish lawmakers narrowly approved a resolution affirming that the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government during World War I was genocide. The Turkish envoy to Washington was recalled when a similar measure narrowly passed March 4 in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Ankara expressed similar optimism regarding the U.S. measure, citing a last ditch-appeal to shoot down the non-binding resolution by U.S. Security of State Hillary Clinton. The measure passed on a 23-22 vote.
Maybe the Queen will finally return the treasures of King Levon V.