ARMENIA HAS NO CHOICE, SHE IS PRESENTED WITH A FAIT ACCOMPLI
Karine Ter-Sahakyan
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.09.2009 GMT+04:00
We should simply erase from our own history the past 200 years and
continue to live as if nothing has happened.
We seem to have forgotten that precisely one year has passed since
the day of Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s first visit to Yerevan,
i.e. since the beginning of the so-called "football diplomacy", which,
to put it seriously and to ignore the "ecstasy" of the world community,
did no good to the Armenian society. It came out as always: pressure of
the world powers, at times ending in arm-twisting, neglect of national
interests. In fact, Armenia, as we have previously mentioned, lost in
all directions despite the cheerful reports of the Foreign Minister
and the world community.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The possible opening of the Armenian-Turkish border
and the establishment of diplomatic relations may put Armenia on
the brink of disappearance. As proof to this can serve the whole
600-year-old history of the Armenians’ inhabitance in the Ottoman
Empire and in the Turkish Republic of Kemal Ataturk. We can talk
endlessly over the fact that the pride and glory of the Ottoman
culture were raised by ethnic Armenians, but the whole world is already
convinced that architect Sinan was a great Turkish architect, and the
monuments of Greek and Armenian culture preserved in Turkey belong
to a certain culture of Asia Minor. We say that even so the world
community knows who the Armenians were and we do not need to once
again prove what is already obvious. This kind of approach to the
proof of ownership to Western Armenia and its monuments is nothing
but a stupid sense of "excellence" that can lead to nothing.
If you take a serious look at all the Pro et Contra imposed on
Armenia through the unacceptable agreement, it turns out that we
should simply erase from our own history the past 200 years and
continue to live as if nothing has happened. Then no one would need
the numerous protests and petitions used he San Stefano peace treaty
to grant a constitution. The constitution resulted in the massacre of
1896… Next, the Young Turks "paid attention" to the Armenians. The
outcome was the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The last one was Ataturk,
who completed the work of Talaat Pasha. The conclusion drawn from
the whole incident is very sad – we are unable to learn a lesson from
history. Perhaps it’s just a habit, a character, a way of life. The
Armenians are remarkably complacent when it comes to the question
of physical existence of the nation. Of course, one could argue
that genocide is possible in the 21st century, but Rwanda and Darfur
prove the contrary. Besides, there are now more civilized methods of
destruction of a nation, which could be used against the Armenians
in case of opening the Armenian-Turkish border.
As for the ratification of the Protocols on the normalization of
bilateral relations in the parliaments of Turkey and Armenia,
there probably lies the last chance for Armenia. The idea of a
national referendum on the Armenian-Turkish relations, voiced by
some political parties, could cool the hot heads yearning for opening
the border. In fact, majority of the Armenian population as well as
the Diaspora is against opening the border. Moreover, failure of the
referendum or ratification of the Protocols at the National Assembly
of Armenia would lead to a final split between the two branches
of the Armenian nation, who even so have little friendly feelings
towards each other.. Convincing the Diaspora that friendship with
Turkey is for the welfare of Armenia is the same as to formally tell
the descendants of Genocide survivors that years ago there happened
nothing but simply a war at which we suffered some losses. That is,
take a Turkish point of view. Right at the entrance to the ancient
Ani is a monument to the Turks who died during the First World War
at the hands of the Armenians…
Meanwhile, the European experts and not only them started to suggest
that in case of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, Presidents
Sargsyan and Gul are worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. There has been
one such precedent in the East: Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin
and Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat were granted the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1978 for signing the Camp David Accords: "The Framework
for Peace in the Middle East" and "Framework for the Conclusion of
a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel". Israel returned to Egypt
most of the Sinai Peninsula. However, a number of important issues
remained unresolved, among them the problem of Israeli settlements in
the West Bank and the issue of occupation of the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. The agreement was signed under the mediation of U.S. President
Jimmy Carter.
In our case, the role of Carter is performed by Switzerland. But
the question is what Armenia is going to return to Turkey or
Azerbaijan. Israel returned the Sinai, which did not belong to her,
but do the Armenian authorities have the right to give their land in
exchange for illusory ‘prosperity under the Ottoman care’? This is
where the problem lies.
According to Civilitas Foundation, headed by former Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vardan Oskanian, with the Protocol on
establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey and opening the border,
Armenia agrees that she has no territorial claims against Turkey, and
that she accepts Ankara’s initiative of establishing a commission of
historians. "If the Armenian parliament ignores the existing threats
in the documents, it would be a fatal mistake. For the past 17
years none of the Armenian leadership has taken such a step, taking
into consideration their political and historical responsibility,"
emphasized the article published on the website of the foundation.
One more tip. Probably no one yet ll inevitably lead to opening a
Turkish Embassy in Yerevan, on top of which the Turkish flag will
be waving…