THE WAY TOWARDS PREVENTING GENOCIDE
Naira Khachatryan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on April 23, 2008
Armenia
"There was a group of people among the Armenians for whom April 24
also became a day of struggle. They made political appeals under the
Soviet rule.
These were the people who chanted ‘our lands’, a slogan behind
which lay the idea of eliminating the consequences of Genocide,"
PARUYR HAYRIKYAN, Head of the National Self-Determination Union,
said yesterday in "Urbat" club, recalling the events of April 24, 1965.
According the leader of the National Self-Determination Union,
April 24 is also a day of learning lessons from history. "We tried to
understand what were the historical regularities that led to Genocide
and how it was possible to prevent them. My colleague Movses Gorgisyan,
a national hero, used to say that the shortest way towards recognizing
Genocide is restoring the statehood."
The recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the elimination of its
consequences is a strategic issue, and it is necessary to reveal its
political and legal background. "We have a potential; we have serious
legal and political opportunities in the form of an international
document, and all this should be summed up."
Among those strategic issues, P. Hayrikyan singled out the questions
concerning the Armenian-Turkish relations. In particular, he offered
to reject the agreement signed on March 16, 1921. "The Turks are
well-aware that the agreement is illegal. They are also aware that
the issue will be raised sooner or later."
He is convinced that other politicians, political scientists and
scholars will advance a proposal on the elimination of the consequences
of Genocide, but the issue may be resolved only through a coordinated
state approach.
"In my opinion, from the first day of establishing our statehood, it
was necessary to set up a committee elaborating packages applicable
to different situations and specifying the strategic trends."
The times when the publication of a book written by a historian or an
opinion expressed by the latter could arouse happiness are in the past.
"The state has to sum up and bring to life the interests which are
to its benefit."
According to the leader of the National Self-Determination
Union, no matter how much we may try to build the Armenia-Turkish
relations without any preconditions, they have fallen to our lot by
destiny, and the 1921 treaty is one of those preconditions. "After
declaring it null and void, there emerges the problem of Kars,
Ardahan and Nakhijevan. These are not only political-moral but
also legal opportunities. Two states signed a treaty concerning a
third state. From the point of view of international law, this is
unacceptable, and I believe the relations with Turkey should be
started at this point."
P. Hayrikyan insisted that it is impossible to build relations with a
state which denies the fact of genocide, a fact that was recognized
by around 20 countries of the world. "Turkey is the successor of a
criminal state that committed murders and now it tries to deny the
fact of Genocide by its policy, whereas the world recognizes it. The
European Union recognized the fact back in 1987."
By the way, this period of time is favorable in terms of introducing
a turning point in the Armenian-Turkish relations since our
country’s president is supported by the overwhelming majority of the
parliamentary factions. "The President should feel that 80 percent of
the entire political arena supports him and he can really undertake
serious steps."
The leader of the National Self-Determination Union also submitted his
proposals to the political coalition. Perhaps, they seem unfeasible
at present, but he always has the hope of bringing them to life. "The
Supreme Council used to condemn us for desiring to have a ‘national
army’ and refusing to admit the absurd principle that said, ‘our
protection consists in our being unprotected’. When we spoke about
the constitution, they would say we didn’t need any constitution at
all. And today, these are usual, regular achievements. Ideas should
be put into circulation, developed and represented."