INTERVIEW OF THE FOUNDER OF THE ARMENIAN DIASPORA RESEARCH CENTER IN FRANCE JEAN-CLOD KEBAJYAN TO ARMINFO

Karina Manukyan, ArmInfo, May 3, 20007
2007-05-03 13:24:00

Creation of Joint Armenian-Turkish Commission will Help Modern Turkey
to Get Rid of the ‘Complex of Guilt’

How do you treat Turkey’s proposals about creation of a joint
commission to study the Armenian Genocide, as well as the repeated
accusations of the Armenian Government of the alleged neglect of
this proposal?

The mere fact that the Government of Armenia treats this initiative
with distrust, is very curious. It seems the Armenians are afraid of
discussion on a big arena. The issue arouses if we doubt in our right
and in our position on this issue, especially as the Genocide is an
incontestable historical fact? I think, the historical discussion
within the frames of the created joint commission could not only
save the modern Turkey from the "complex of guilt", but emphasize
the responsibility of the influential powers of the last epoch for
the imperialistic role they had played in the Armenian Genocide. Not
forgiving the Genocide authors and not looking for the attenuating
circumstances of this crime, it is necessary to accept the proposal of
official Ankara about creation of a joint commission. The Genocide is
a Genocide and no circumstances can excuse the authors of this crime.

How do you think, if the initiative of creating a joint commission
is the desire of official Ankara to conceal the true facts of the
Genocide?

Undoubtedly, if we are weak in our argumentation, Turkey will make
use of it. At the same time, if we are objective, we shall be able
(I emphasize, not forgiving the murderers) to work over the new
version of the past history: the Genocide is an absolute collective
misfortune for both Armenia and Turkey.

At the same time, the borders between Armenia and Turkey remain closed
since 1992…

I think, the Armenian-Turkish border cannot be open without the
Genocide recognition. Unfortunately, this is a hardly-explainable
reality for many and Armenia should use the concept of the "calm
diplomacy" here, having completely refused from the aggressive
policy. In its turn, the unwillingness of Turkey to recognize the fact
of Genocide affected the formation of democratic principles in this
country, since recognition if its implication in this crime requires
political will from official Ankara.

In your opinion, if recognition of the Genocide by official Ankara is
possible based on the situation in Turkey (institution of criminal case
against the Nobel Prize laureate on literature, a writer Orhan Pamuk,
who refused to conceal the murders of the Armenians and the Kurds;
the murder of the "Agos" newspaper Editor Hrant Dink)?

Of course, not, as the Government of Turkey did not completely free
itself from the influence of the western interests, which facilitated
its ultranational conservatism during the Cold War. That is why, it is
urgent to hold a historical discussion to be covered both in Armenia
and Turkey calmly and without aggression. A "velvet revolution",
stretched for years, should be carried out in Turkey for the Genocide
recognition, completely ruling out its possible use by anyone in the
own interests. Undoubtedly, Armenia must play the decisive role here,
and the Diaspora has to completely revise its strategy. I think, the
more diplomatic and more pedagogical policy of the Armenian Diaspora
would make this process more efficient.

How do you perceive the statements of Azerbaijan about the necessity
to resort to the power methods of the conflict solution.

Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan does not feel isolated. In order to block
any solution of the Karabakh issue and put continuous military pressure
on Armenia, it enjoys Turkey’s support and the influence of the western
"oil" interests.

I think, it is possible to break the situation, having put the issue
of the Genocide and its consequences (human, national and territorial)
before the world community. For me personally, the Karabakh conflict
solution is directly connected with the Genocide recognition by
Turkey, that will immediately take off all the artificial arguments
from Azerbaijan and make NKR an integral historical, political and
respected "individual". Moreover, the NKR status recognition by Turkey
and Azerbaijan is the minimum reparation of damages for the former
feudal-imperialistic policy, which is unacceptable today.

How do you appreciate the level of cooperation of the Armenian Diaspora
of different countries with Armenia’s Government?

Unfortunately, the peculiar bias to Diaspora, inherited from the
Soviet epoch, impedes us to carry out our projects in Armenia. To
talk evenly, Armenia assists us rather by its existence than by
the politically active and courageous actions. Our organization is
also a bright example of the "national Armenian mess". Day by day,
during 16 years, I have been fighting for preservation of the Center
and its rich archives (several thousand documents, photo- and video
materials, as well as the stories of witnesses on audio-carriers)
without assistance of not only the Diaspora and its organizations,
but of the modern Armenia as well. I think, the republic should display
itself more open and less suspicious with respect to its own Diaspora,
thus, opening the way for implementation of big economic and cultural
projects in the country.

Your Center was periodically holding the events in the territory of
France, in which the attention was focused on the Armenian Question. If
their number has increased since the beginning of the Year of Armenia
in France?

Generally speaking, the Â"restraintÂ", with which the Armenian Genocide
is presented within the frames of the Year of Armenia in France, is ,
in my opinion, a great mistake, closely connected with the world and
security of Armenians, living not only in Armenia and NKR, but in
the territory of Turkey as well.

Once this Year is finished, we risk to go back to the political debates
and keep away from the democratic and scientific debates, which touch
on the moral, territorial (NKR), economic and strategic consequences of
the Genocide. As for our organization, a large exhibition-installation
"Memoires Armeniennes" was held in autumn, 2006, in Paris, in Villet
park, dedicated to the history of Armenia and the Genocide, that also
included a demonstration of feature and documentary films. Moreover,
the map of the Armenian settlements in Turkey prior to 1915 events was
presented on 15 big screens . We also organized several Round Tables,
dedicated to the history of crimes against Humanity in XX Century. I
would like to note that we plan to organize such events in other French
countries within 2007 and 2008. Our Center has already provided the
archive documents for the exhibition to be opened in a month in Monte
Matre museum. It will be dedicated to the famous Armenian movement,
organized in France by a well-known poet Arshak Chobanyan after the
slaughter of Armenians in 1894 in Sasoun (Turkey).

The Armenian Diaspora in France is the biggest in the territory of
the Western Europe. How many people does it count?

About 450,000 Armenians. I would also note that the tragic fortune of
the Armenian people together with the denial of the facts of the own
history by modern Turkey cannot arouse sympathy for Armenia. Thus, one
may say with confidence that there are millions of "Frenchmen-Armenians
by heart" living in France, who sympathize with Armenia.

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