‘JOINT COMMISSION A DANGEROUS TRAP’

Hurriyet
May 6 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – US historian Richard Hovannisian says a joint commission
of historians to examine the events of 1915 is a dangerous trap for
the Armenian side as it would be a backward step for Armenians to
research whether the events were genocide or not.

A U.S. historian with Armenian roots has said he will not take part
in a joint commission to research the events of 1915, as the offer
is a dangerous trap for Armenians, reported Armenian Reporter magazine.

"The creation of such a commission is very dangerous," said Richard
Hovannisian from the University of California when asked about
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian’s statement that Armenia would
not oppose the creation of a joint commission if Turkey opened the
border between the two countries.

Last month Turkey and Armenia agreed on a road map toward restoring
relations. Although the content of the road map has not been
disclosed, the prevailing view is that it includes the establishment
of a commission to investigate the details surrounding the events of
1915. Armenians believe that the World War I killings of Armenians
at the hands of the Ottomans amount to genocide, a claim refuted
by Turkey.

Hovannisian said if asked he would refuse to be part of the
commission. He said that it would be a step backward for the
Armenian side and that even the offer of a joint commission to
examine whether it was an act of genocide or not suggested there is
doubt surrounding events. "[The commission] is acceptable only under
certain conditions. First of all, the genocide must be accepted as
a fact, then we can study as to why the genocide happened, what were
the factors, etc," he said.

According to Hovanisian, the Turkish side is relying on the 1948
UN Convention on genocide, where it states that genocides must be
premeditated. "The Turks will stress that, yes, there were Armenian
victims – 200,000 or 300,000, but you cannot prove that this was
premeditated," he said. In Turkish archives and at that time it was
already planned, to send telegrams from the provinces, where supposedly
Armenian revolts and desertions from the Ottoman army were recorded,
Hovanisian said, adding that Turkish historians can come up with
these arguments and try, at least in part, to place the blame on the
Armenians. "The Turkish side will never accept that what happened
was genocide," he said.

Opening the border Hovanisian also said that opening the
Turkish-Armenian border would bring more benefits to Turkey than
Armenia. "Of course, open borders will also be beneficial for Armenia,
because we need access to the sea, toward the Western world. We will
then have an alternative to the Georgian routes. Open borders is
also good for Turkey, because its eastern regions will develop. It
is also good for the Turks because they will have access to expand
to the East. The Turks have always had their eye on the East," he said.

Hovanisian is the father of Raffi Hovanisian, the first foreign
minister of Armenia, the daily Vatan reported yesterday.