Hrant Margarian: Turkey calls Hai Dat activities Armenian tsunami in
Europe
Editorial
Yerki/arm
March 04, 2005
At a February 26 banquets in Paris, organized by the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau with an aim to boost the
support for the Armenian Cause, $1.7 million was raised. ARF Bureau
representative Hrant Margarian made a speech at the event. Below is
the text of Margarian’s speech.
Your Holiness, dear guests, comrades,
Four years ago, in Geneva, during a similar event, we gave a new
momentum to the Hai Dat activities in Europe. Four years ago, at
the end of the event, we said that we are taking the first step of
a long way.
Now, four years later, Turkey calls the works we and other Armenian
groups are carrying out in the direction of the Hai Dat an “Armenian
tsunami in Europe.” While such Turkish assessment might be exaggerated
and aimed at mobilizing the internal forces, there is a good part of
truth in it.
Today, we are holding a second such event. We need new breath to carry
on our fight with new energy and new strength. We are appealing to
you and your help today because the Hai Dat belongs to all of us, the
Homeland belongs to all of us, and our struggle and cause are common.
We are strong and undefeatable when we act together. There are
states working against us with their huge capabilities, budgets,
human resources, national interests and ties. But we don’t give
up: we are not the type that gets tired, retreats, conforms or gets
disappointed. We stand against the capacities of states with our minds,
with sacrifice of our thousands of comrades, and tireless efforts.
Hundreds, thousands of our comrades, gathered around our offices and
bodies are involved in everyday hard work. We have people behind and
with us, we get power from our people, you. That’s were the secret
of our might is. It is that might that gives us courage, will and
capacity to overcome all the difficulties.
Today, we can state with satisfaction that we have the first
serious success, that is the international recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, particularly the success we have had in Europe,
and the effective mechanisms of the Brussels and Washington offices;
effective mechanisms that also contribute to the foreign policy of
Armenia, to the ensuring of the country’s image and the economic
development process.
Your presence here is the proof of the said. We have come here from
the Homeland and tens of countries to stand side by side because the
Hai Daid belongs to all of us, the struggle is common, and each of
us is responsible to our state and people.
On behalf of the ARF, thank you everybody. Also, I am thanking those
who are not present but are with us with their work. Do not hesitate,
we are on the right way and we will win.
Believe me, we could do hundred times more — we have to do hundred,
thousand times more — than we have done so far. The goal of our
struggle is to form an influential Armenian force through bringing
together our capabilities and potential, and mobilizing our national
will. We are strong when we organize our national potential and direct
it towards reaching pan-Armenian objectives.
In order to become stronger, first of all justice should be
established in our Homeland, Armenia. Fighting poverty is one of our
key missions. The democracy struggle is also ours; we have to create
a developing and united national state led by government elected
through free and fair elections, and accountable to people.
Our will to fight corruption and poverty and to establish democracy
is indestructible. We are willing to assume responsibilities for the
sake of stability and common national interests, we are also prepared
to held accountable for the mistakes and injustice we have nothing
to do with, we cannot give up our dream of democratic Armenia, we
cannot give up our fight to stamp out poverty and corruption.
We are building a country, and our independent state is already
an undeniable fact. There are also progress and development in the
country, but at this stage, we need tolerance and national consensus
like air so this course is not breached, so that we can cope with
external risks and complete our victory in liberating Artsakh. We are
replying to confrontation calls in the internal life by messages for
dialogues and mutual understanding. Let’s lean on each other.
The strong do not refuse cooperation. We are ready to collaborate with
anybody for achieving our goals. We also call on all Diaspora forces
to cooperate and unite. Our goals are pan-Armenian. Our struggle
is the struggle of our people; it is not the classical struggle of
political parties. We should unite to hit the common targets harder
and with greater concentration.
We believe that the adoption of the dual citizenship would
contribute to the accumulation of that force, and would strengthen
both the Homeland and the Diaspora. We are one nation, and we have
one Homeland. We have always said that the Diaspora – through its
bodies — should feel the responsibility for and participate in the
formation of a fair and strong Homeland; and the Homeland should feel
the responsibility for and participate in strengthening the Diaspora.
The struggle for the Armenian cause has entered a new stage and has
been included in the common international developments. In the coming
years, the issue of the international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide will emerge from the frame of the Armenian-Turkish relations
and become a geopolitical factor. With this in mind, the ARF attempted
the new strategies and tactics of the Armenians, using its influence
on the Armenian government.
Active work in international organizations, new campaigning mechanisms,
establishment of a network of Hai Dat offices, coordinated pan-Armenian
efforts, precise distribution of workload between the Armenian
governmental bodies and the Diaspora, expanding the popular support
in the Armenian communities, demonstration of the Armenian force —
these are our tasks.
The result is that the Armenian Genocide issue has never been raised
to such extent, it has never been as strong of a pressure factor on
Turkey as it is now, it has never been on agenda in international
relations as it is now.