The Treaty of Sèvres turned 100 on August 10
YEREVAN—On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Sèvres, 10 Armenian political parties issued the following joint statement on Wednesday shedding fresh light on the possible international impact of the treaty, reported the Armenian Revolutionary Federation press office.
August 10, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres. The Treaty between the victorious Allies of World War I and Turkey solved a number of troublesome territorial issues, obliging Turkey, as the defeated side of the World War, to recognize the countries gaining independence from it and clarifying new borders with neighbors.
The Treaty of Sèvres is a document of powerful geopolitical importance aimed at establishing lasting peace in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, in the Balkans. Although further geopolitical developments did not allow the signatory states to ratify the Treaty of Sèvres, it nevertheless became the basis for the independence of many states and the delimitation of interstate borders. Therefore, we are dealing with an agreement that was only partially enforced and implemented, failing to be applied to Armenia.
The section of the Treaty referring to Armenia, inter alia, comprehensively refers to the interstate border between Armenia and Turkey.
It should be documented that on November 22 of the same year, the 28th President of the United States Woodrow Wilson, endowed with international mandate and arbitration, approved the Armenia-Turkey border with the Great Seal of the United States and handed over his decision to all state-signatories of the Treaty.
It is noteworthy that even today’s political behavior of Turkey, which leads to the destabilization of international relations and military and political tensions in the neighboring regions, is largely due to non-implementation of the provisions of the Treaty of Sèvres, including those referring to Armenia.
Consequently, in the background of Turkey’s increasingly aggressive, unpredictable military-political destabilizing actions, even a century later, the principles of regional coexistence of nations expressed in the Treaty of the Sèvres remain relevant as a guarantee of lasting and fair peace, as well as equal development of nations and states in this part of the world.
Based on the above, as well as the fact that the Pan-Armenian Declaration on the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide underscores the role of the Sèvres Treaty and Woodrow Wilson’s Arbitral Award in overcoming the consequences of the Armenian Genocide, we emphasize:
1. The Treaty of Sèvres is not just a historical fact. It is an international treaty signed between states that exist today (or are their successors), the implementation of which was suspended as a result of the shift in the military-political situation in the region.
2. International discussions on the Treaty of Sèvres should be promoted by the academic communities of the Republic of Armenia and the signatory states, and the political circles should demonstrate its importance in the context of the current geopolitical and regional processes.
3. There is no other multilaterally recognized international agreement between Armenia and the Republic of Turkey which legally resolves the border issue between the two countries.
4. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Sèvres and Arbitral Award of Woodrow Wilson, it is necessary to take political initiative, demonstrating:
- The hostile policy of Turkey towards the Republic of Armenia in international relations
- The illegal blockade of the Republic of Armenia by Turkey
- Consistent appropriation and destruction of Armenian historical and cultural heritage for more than a century with the complicity of the Turkish authorities
- Turkey’s aggressive military-political support to Azerbaijan and its non-constructive attempts to be involved in Karabakh conflict, which are often accompanied by war threats
- Destabilization of all neighboring regions of Turkey
- Violation of human rights, including the rights of national-religious minorities in Turkey, authorized by the state
- Incompatibility of the approaches of the Turkish authorities to modern political processes and challenges faced by humanity
5. It is necessary for the existing subjects of international law that signed the Treaty of Sèvres, as well as those whose subjectivity is conditioned by the Treaty, to express a position on the importance of the political and legal will of the states enshrined in the Treaty, as well as on the urgency of the issues under the conditions of fair coexistence of nations and its absence.
We, the undersigned parties
Highlight the historical, political and legal mission of the Sèvres Peace Treaty for the security and future development of the Republic of Armenia and the entire region;
Deem it necessary to shed fresh light on the possible international impact of the Treaty of Sèvres;
Express our unconditional readiness to participate in this process of great national importance; and
Call on political organizations and NGOs of the Republic of Armenia to join this initiative.
“Azatutyun” Party (Freedom Party)
Democratic Party of Armenia
National Democratic Union
The Republican Party of Armenia
Prosperous Armenia Party
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Yerkir Tsirani Party
Homeland Party
Heritage Party
One Armenia Party