VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: TURKISH SOCIETY NEEDS TRUTH
Noyan Tapan
Dec 19, 2007
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian-Turkish relations have
reached a deadlock, and though its all motivations are partly true,
they do not give a final answer to the question. Vahan Hovhannisian,
the RA National Assembly Vice-Speaker, a member of the ARFD Bureau,
said at the hearings on the subject "Armenian-Turkish relations:
problems and prospects," which started on December 19 at the RA
National Assembly.
According to him, democracy and dictatorship have never been
partners. At the same time, V. Hovhannisian said that he is far
from the idea that Armenia is already a classical democratic
country. However, in his words, Turkey is a classical example of
dictatorship and totalitarianism, as it tries to keep under control
not only the present, but also the past. V. Hovhannisian considers
that therefore a serious study of the Armenian Genocide and its
reasons is excluded, and information on these events is closed for
the Turkish public. Besides, according to him, "no result will be
achieved" until the murderers, Talaat Pasha, Enver, and Jamal are
perceived as national heroes by the Turkish people.
V. Hovhannisian also said that Turkish society really needs the truth.
Therefore, according to him, the results of the parliamentary hearings
should be completed and they should include a very important component,
what is retribution according to the Armenian party and in what way and
in what terms it is expected. The NA Vice-Speaker considers that not
only representatives of Turkey, who have turned down the invitation
to take part in the hearings, but also the whole Turkish parliament
should be informed about it.
According to V. Hovhannisian’s evaluation, changes happen in Turkey in
a distorted way and that country’s membership in the European Union
will be "a serious defeat, as it will mean that not Turkey accepted
the European system of values, but Europe accepted an absolutely
strange system of values." He considers that finally it will result
in EU’s weakening.