HAY DAT STRUCTURES DETERMINED TO CONTINUE STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Noyan Tapan
Oct 13, 2009

WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. "The success of Turkey in
pressuring Armenia into accepting these humiliating, one-sided
protocols proves, sadly, that genocide pays," is said in the statement
that Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken
Hachikian made following the signing of Armenia-Turkey protocols,
panarmenian.net reported.

"President Obama, rather than honoring his pledge to recognize the
Armenian Genocide, went in exactly the opposite direction by applying
the full force of our nation’s diplomacy to twist the arm of a a
landlocked and blocaked Armenia … into accepting a dangerous set of
protocols that call into question this very crime against humanity,"
Ken Hachikian said.

"The ANCA and all Armenian Americans will continue our efforts to
restore morality to our nation’s response to the Armenian Grnocide,
and, more broadly, to the cause of genocide prevention. We will also
work to prevent Turkey from using this agreement to further its
genocide denial campiagn, to undermine the rights of the Armenian
nation, and to threaten the freedom of Nagorno Karabakh," is said in
the statement.

Chairwoman of the European Armenian Federation for Justice Hilda
Choboyan said in her statement: "We support the establishment of
relations between Armenia and Turkey, but we stand against these
protocols as they pose a threat to vitally important interests of
Armenia and the Armenian people".

The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) expressed concern in
connection with the signing of the Armenia-Turkey protocols, noting the
signing deprives Armenia of the opportunity to make territorial claims
against Turkey. ANCC reminded about the statements made by Turkish
officials to the effect that the clause about territorial integrity
in the protocols is related to the Karabakh problem. ANCC Chairman
Zhirayr Basmajian said that Diaspora and Armenian organizations
believe that those who signed the protocols must bear responsibility –
in case they will later make any statements or take any steps which
will contradict the Armenian president’s statement that there are no
preconditions in the protocols.

In Jerusalem, Georgette Avagian, historian and representative of Hay
Dat, said: "Now April 24 and October 10 have become days of mourning
for us because today we lost our historical lands, and the issue of the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide has turned to dust". According
to her, "we have struggled against Turkey for a hundred years, and
we will continue to do so".

Spokesperson for the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden Vahagn
Avedian expressed an opinion that the signing brought discord into
Armenia-Diaspora relations. He said the first step that the Diaspora
will undertake after the protocols’ signing will be to stop financing
Armenia.

Editor-in-chief of Gibrahayer monthly Simon Aynejian said: "We are not
against the normalization of relations, but the point is what price
we are going to pay for these relations. I am sure Armenia will pay
a high price".