A Split in the Armenian Diaspora

Hurriyet, 06 April 2005

Two separate Armenian lobbies, both active in the US, have come
to blows over their differing claims of genocide and demands from
Turkey. The lobby representing the extremely nationalistic Armenian
Tasnaksutyen Party, ANCA, has accused the American Armenian Assembly
(AAA), of taking part in a conspiracy by the White House. According to
ANCA, the AAA is playing a role in the Bush adminstration’s efforts
to get Turkey to accept genocide charges in return for not having to
give up any land or monetary reperations to Armenia.

The Armenian newspaper “Asberez,” which is printed and distributed
largely in Los Angeles, also accuses the AAA of “assisting in the
cover-up of the deaths of 1.5 millio n Armenians.” In a response to
this, Anthony Barsamian, a representative from the AAA, said “Prior
to finding a just solution to this all, none of us is going to support
Turkey’s recognition of the genocide.”

The arguments between these two lobbies regarding the approach to
the question of the Armenian genocide charges spread all the way to
projects carried out by the now defunct Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation
Commission. Concluding two years ago that the charges of genocide were
convincing enough to bring to the United Nations, the commission then
announced that a UN Treaty on Genocides from 1948 would not cover
the time period the Armenians were after. The ANCA lobby at this
time charged that “Turkish supporters” were controlling the work of
the Commission.