AZG Armenian Daily #078, 30/04/2005
Armenian Genocide
ALL-ARMENIAN PROGRAM ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
A Group of Experts at WAC Takes on the Task
Moscow lawyer Yuri Barseghov thinks that the experts’ task in today’s
political environment is to delineate and solve issues that are necessary
for “choosing best ways for reaching our goals”. “Namely, based on
international laws and principles to get free from the past and to take up
building new relations between Turkey and Armenia”, he said.
On May 6-7 2004, “The Factor of Genocide in Improving Armenian-Turkish
Relations” conference organized by the World Armenian Congress in Yerevan
pulled in Armenian and foreign scientists studying the Genocide issue. As a
result of two-day discussions a group of experts from different countries
was formed which set a goal to systematize issues concerning
Armenian-Turkish relations.
President of WAC Ara Abrahamian took part in the second session of the
experts’ commission in Yerevan on April 25-26. During his meeting with
journalists Ara Abrahamian said that the Armenian people has to clearly
formulate what it demands from Turkey, what should be the sequence of
improving Armenian-Turkish relations and Genocide-related issues. The WAC
president emphasized that the commission is not looking to oppose to the
official position, just the contrary, it will try to form a pan-Armenian
position. “We have to have dialogue with Turkey”, he said.
Vahagn Tatrian, Yuri Barseghov, members of suspended Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation Committee Andranik Mihranian and Van Grigorian, historians
Richard Hovhannisian and Ruben Safrastian and others took part in experts’
Yerevan meeting.
Legal, political and historic aspects of the Armenian Genocide were this
time on the agenda of Yerevan meeting. Particularly:
1. Time frame within which the Armenian Genocide was committed and setting
its period (particularly 1876-1914 and 1915-1923).
2. Number of deported and killed people according to stages.
3. International law at the period of Armenian Genocide with a focus to
clarify whether the Turkish state is responsible or not.
4. Applicability of UN Convention of December 9, 1948 to the Armenian
Genocide.
5. Armenian Genocide and topicality of crimes against humanity for all
times.
6. Importance of Genocide recognition from aspects of politics and
international law.
7. Conditions of improving Armenian-Turkish relations on the bases of
international law (particularly, condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by
Turkey, recognition of the right of the offspring of the killed to return to
their historic homeland, moral and material reparation, territorial issues).
Moscow political scientist Andranik Mihranian considers important that the
WAC experts’ commission elaborates a program for Armenian-Turkish relations
and the Genocide issue.
He thinks it wrong that official Yerevan’s and Diaspora’s stances on
Armenian-Turkish relations, particularly on the Genocide, may differ. “There
should be one position. Armenia has to become the subject in the issue and
put forward the Genocide recognition before Turkey and world community. Not
only this, the state has to raise issues of financial and even territorial
reparation”, he said during the 2d session of the experts’ commission in
Yerevan.
Mihranian thinks that the Armenian state should not simply declare that it
demands Genocide recognition and leave other issues to the presidents to
come. On the other hand, he thinks that there should not be dreamlike
demands as regards return of territories.
Ruben Safrastian thinks that Armenia should keep on pressing on Turkey and
widen its circle of allies. “It’s important that pressure gradually builds
up. We (the commission) can call on Armenian authorities to raise the issue
of Armenian monuments in Turkey”, Safrastian said.
Legal and political aspects of the Armenian Genocide were also discussed
during the two-day get-together. Is the UN Convention of December 9 1948
applicable in case of the Armenian Genocide, should Armenia apply to the UN
or International Court to find out whether the events of 1915 were a
genocide or not? Finally, is present-day Turkey responsible for the Genocide
or not? If yes, to what extent? One of the best specialists in Genocide
issues, Vahagn Tatrian, thinks that we should never apply to any court as
“it will become a trap for Armenia”.
It was certainly impossible to work out a joint position on Genocide and
Armenia-Turkish relation within two days as it was only the second meeting
of experts and the issues were disputable.
By Tatoul Hakobian