ARMENIAN DIASPORA REFLECTS BOTH ANGER AND BALANCED ATTITUDE

Today’s Zaman
Sept 4 2009
Turkey

The tone of the reactions of two leading US-based Armenian diaspora
organizations to the news of Armenia and Turkey’s agreement to
establish diplomatic relations and open their joint border differ
considerably from each other, with one of them urging Washington
to swiftly recognize the killings of Anatolian Armenians during the
World War I as genocide while the other cautiously welcomed the news.

Armenia and Turkey announced late on Monday that they have agreed
to begin internal political consultations on the two protocols — a
protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations and a protocol
on the development of bilateral relations — which have been initiated
through the course of efforts under Swiss-facilitated mediation.

Only a day after the announcement, on Tuesday, the Washington-based
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sent a memo to offices
at both the US Senate and the House of Representatives, sharing with
members of Congress the reservations members of the Armenian-American
community have regarding the protocols.

"ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian alerted these offices to the
undue pressure applied to Armenia to accept dangerous concessions
and informed legislators on both sides of Capitol Hill about Turkey’s
rapid backtracking from even the minor commitments it had undertaken
in these agreements," ANCA announced.

"Among [ANCA’s] primary concerns is that Armenia, blockaded by Turkey
and under intense economic and diplomatic pressure, was forced
into accepting terms that threaten her interests, rights, safety,
and future — very notably in the form of a proposed ‘historical
commission.’ This provision, a tactic long pursued by Ankara to cast
doubt on the historical record of the Armenian Genocide, is intended
to serve Turkey’s drive to roll back the growing tide of international
recognition of this crime against humanity. There can be no enduring
relationship between Armenia and Turkey that is not built upon the
foundation of Turkey’s acceptance of a true and just resolution of
this crime," Hamparian said.

Hamparian was apparently referring to the protocol on the development
of relations between Armenia and Turkey which says that the two
countries have agreed to "implement a dialogue on the historical
dimension with the aim to restore mutual confidence between the two
nations, including an impartial scientific examination of historical
records and archives to define existing problems and formulate
recommendations."

Another Washington-based diaspora organization, the Armenian Assembly
of America (AAA), meanwhile, stated that the announcement by Armenia
and Turkey is consistent with the US position that normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey proceed without preconditions.

"Armenian authorities have also made it clear that no preconditions
means just that — no linkage to progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace talks and no conditions on affirmation of the Armenian Genocide,
or debating whether a genocide occurred through a commission-style
process," AAA said in a statement released Wednesday.

"The Armenian Assembly supports normalization of relations between
Armenia and Turkey without preconditions. The United States has spoken
clearly about the need for Turkey to lift its blockade and establish
diplomatic relations with Armenia. Turkey’s lifting of its blockade
against Armenia and opening the border is not only long overdue but
obligated under international treaties. For this long-awaited effort
to succeed, it is incumbent that the United States require Turkey to
adhere to its commitments with respect to Armenia," AAA said. Yet it
also noted that it "recalls Turkey’s ample track record of unfulfilled
promises."

"Moreover, it is of particular concern that on the same day as
the joint statement released by the Armenian and Turkish foreign
ministries regarding the start of consultations to establish diplomatic
relations that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu sent mixed
signals. Foreign Minister Davutoglu not only indicated that the opening
of the border would be ‘a long process,’ but also stated that Turkey
would guard Azerbaijan’s interests," AAA noted.

Armenian nationalists protest Turkey ties In Yerevan, meanwhile,
around 1,000 Armenian nationalists protested on Wednesday against the
historic thaw in relations with neighboring Turkey, underscoring the
risks involved in the rapprochement.

Nationalists in Armenia say there can be no thaw unless
Turkey recognizes the World War I killings and deportations as
genocide. Ankara rejects the term, saying many people died on both
sides of the conflict.

Police estimated some 1,000 supporters of the nationalist Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, known as Dashnaktsutyun, protested outside
the Foreign Ministry, holding the flags of Armenia and the breakaway
mountain region of Nagorno-Karabakh. "This document puts into doubt
the Armenian genocide, the question of compensation and the right to
our historical homeland," said Dashnaktsutyun official Gegham Manukyan.