By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher/Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine
A few days ago, President of Armenia Serzh Sarkisian stated that Armenia and Turkey will reconcile only when Ankara recognizes the Armenian Genocide. But he stopped short of amplifying the fact that today’s Armenia, as the legal successor of the 1918 Democratic Republic of Armenia, has valid Eastern Armenian as well as Western Armenian territorial claims against Turkey.
The 1918 Armenian republic was founded on territories of Eastern Armenia, comprising of a land mass totaling around 60,000 sq. km. As a result of a Communist takeover in 1920, the newly Sovietized Armenia was further dismembered by Communist leaders in Moscow in favor of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia; and was reduced to a tiny 29,000 sq. km.
As for Western Armenia, the 1920 Wilsonian Arbitral award by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson granted Armenia the legal document to recover the Turkish-occupied lands of Western Armenia. The Wilsonian Arbitration is a binding international decision to which two sovereign states – Turkey and Armenia submitted.
Instead of demanding the enforcement of the Wilsonian Arbitration, President Sarkisian, not only steered away from land claims, triggering a strong chain of discontent among the Armenians, he carefully separated “demands” for Genocide recognition from the “need” to establish relations with Turkey, claiming that “those who are trying to present attempts to establish relations with Turkey as reconciliation are wrong. Real reconciliation comes after recognition.”
While it is understandable that Armenia and Turkey need to establish relations, it is categorically unacceptable to see Yerevan harboring willingness to give in to covert pressures forcing Armenia to capitulate by relinquishing land claims against Turkey.
During President Robert Kocharyan’s administration, Armenia actively pursued a policy of “unconditional relations” with Turkey meaning that Ankara may establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan without imposing unfair conditions such as recognition of today’s border with Turkey; or return of liberated territories in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh).
Pres. Sarkisian’s popularity dipped substantially in Armenia and its Diaspora when Yerevan signed the Turkish-imposed infamous Protocols in Zurich a couple of years ago under the watchful eyes of U.S. Secretary of State “Oil Lady” Hilary Clinton and the wry smiles of Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the architect of failed Turkish policy of “Zero problems with neighbors.”
Risking new waves of deep disappointment and possible protests both in Armenia and Diaspora, Sarkisian said that when efforts to normalize relations with Turkey were launched, many opponents said that the process would impede efforts for international recognition of the Genocide, qualifying that conjecture “was wrong.”
However, it was heartening to learn that President Sarkisian is not intent on pursuing “relations with neighbors,” such as Turkey, “at all costs.”
“The fact of Armenian Genocide is indisputable and we must spare no effort for Turkey to recognize the Genocide finally. It is a struggle for justice and for security. It is, at the end of the day, a struggle for inadmissibility of such crimes not only in our region, but throughout the world,” he emphasized.
The issue of Armenian Genocide reparations is directly related to the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 committed by Kemalist Turkey (1922-present) and two preceding Turkish regimes – Ottoman Turkey (1453-1908) and Young Turks (1908-1922). And as such, financial, estate and territorial reparations should be made to Armenians both on individual and collective basis. President Sarkisian should boldly remind and urge the Republic of Turkey, the newest Turkish successor state deliver to the Armenian people no less than comprehensive justice for the losses inflicted by genocide and the resulting massive illegal confiscation of the entire territories in Eastern and Western Armenia.
Former Secretary of the UN Human Rights Committee, Professor Alfred de Zayas, Geneva School of Diplomacy accurately defines the parameters of justice determinedly sought by the victims of the Armenian Genocide and their heirs: “Because of the continuing character of the crime of genocide in factual and legal terms, the remedy of restitution has not been foreclosed by the passage of time. Thus the survivors of the genocide against the Armenians, both individually and collectively, have standing to advance a claim for restitution. This has been also the case with the Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, who have successfully claimed restitution against many States where there property had been confiscated. Whenever possible restitutio in integrum (complete restitution, restoration to the previous condition) should be granted, so as to re-establish the situation that existed before the violation occurred. But where restitutio in integrum is not possible, compensation may be substituted as a remedy.”
Armed with justice and legitimate claims for reparations and restitutions, Armenians and their leaders can ill-afford to pursue a defeatist policy that can bring about one capitulation after another.
Turkey remains unrepentant and continues to bully its neighbors and the minorities in what is now called Turkey. It must be reminded by the international community that bullying does not work and does not pay.
Dear Appo Jabarian,
Congratulations…
Very impressive article with the historical facts. BRAVO.
Job well done.
Regards,
Bedros Zerdelian
Genocide Acknowledgment without Accountability is hollow and meaningless. It does not solve Armenia’s problems and will not make things better for Armenians. Genocide Acknowledgment should be with Accountability. Accountability is land, reparations and restitution.
So, if the Turkish state issues some sort of recognition by uttering “sorry”, then Armenians and Turks will become friends? And that is supposed to solve all of Armenia’s worries and and take away all its problems? Actually, if you think about it along enough – you will realize how dangerous this statement is to Armenian security. Is that what the lives of 2 million Armenians brutally murdered during the genocide is worth? Just recognition? How about the lands, properties, wealth that were stolen – Land Reparations, and Restitution.
Again, this “reconciliation” is a trap that was first introduced during TARC by the hostile-US-State Department. Armenians have nothing to “Reconcile” with Turks – To reconcile would mean to bring back together, say between family members or friends. Armenians are not related to Turks and have not been friends so that they need to “Reconcile”. Armenians are no relations to Turks and have nothing to reconcile.
What would be worse than denial is acknowledgment without accountability. Be ware of a solution that is worse than the problem.
Sarkisian is playing diplomatic-word-gymnastics. The proper statement would be: “Genocide Acknowledgment with Accountability: Land, Reparations and Restitution.”
The message to the US State Department is: No restorative Justice to Armenia = No Energy pipelines passing through Armenia.
The message to Europe and the British: As long as there is no restorative justice to Armenia = Europe will continue to be dependent on Russian energy supplies for 40% of its needs.
Berge, you try to sound smart claiming that the “land grab” movement is righteous and is protecting the rights of Armenian people. Trying to ask for land will only cause too much bloodshed and war between Christians and Muslims in Anatolia. This will end up for Armenian supremacists to divide and wipe Turkey totally off the map, which will lead to the infringement of the collective rights of Anatolian Muslims.
If you, Armenian extremeists, ask for a chunk of land, then you will guys threaten to wipe Turkey off the map. I understand that there were many Armenian civilian casualties, but there were also Muslim civilian casualties. What were the objectives of the Tashnags, to create a “Greater Armenia” by ethnically cleansing Muslims. If you guys really are sincere about peaceful relations with your neighbors, don’t ask for land from Turkey, Georgia or Azerbaijan, because the more you ask for land, the more likely you guys will threaten to wipe Turkey, Georgia, or Azerbaijan off the map. It is either normalizing relations with three of your neighbors or you guys will try to threaten to wipe Turkey, Georgia, or Azerbaijan off the map. What is your choice?
Why is it that, when Turkish and non-Turkish sources state that there were also Muslim civilian casulaties, you guys get mad and hyped up and throw temper tantrums about it. Why are you getting mad, because you know that you want to play innocent angels on the world’s stage so you can create a massive huge land grab from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as extort all the money from the Turkish economy. This is what the “Hye Tahd” is all about. It is no different then Al-Qaida’s holy war against America.
If you guys do not post this comment, this will prove that you guys fear the facts of Armenian fanaticism and racial supremacism. Let’s not forget who was the biggest darling of Nazi Germany, Dro, a loyal, proud Dashnak racial supremacist.