Armenian National Committee of Canada
130 Albert St., Suite 1007
Ottawa, ON KIP 5G4
Tel: 613-235-2622
Fax: 613-238-2622
E-mail: [email protected]

Kenneth V. Hachikian
ANCA Chairman Remarks to President Serge Sargsyan in New York (Oct 3)

Mr. President:

The Armenian National Committee of America stands with the
overwhelming majority of the Armenian American community in opposition
to the intense pressure by Turkey and its allies to force Armenia into
accepting a flawed and dangerous set of Protocols that threaten the
security of Armenia, surrender the rights of the Armenian nation, and
insult the dignity of the Armenian people.

Among the ANCA’s primary concerns, in keeping with the basic American
principles of fairness and the enduring values of the Armenian nation,
is that Armenia, illegally blockaded by Turkey and under intense
economic and diplomatic pressure, is being forced into accepting terms
that threaten her interests, rights, safety, and future – very notably
in the form of a proposed “historical commission’, whatever its
composition turns out to be. This provision, a tactic long pursued by
Ankara to cast doubt on the historical record of the Armenian
Genocide, is clearly intended to serve Turkey’s drive to roll back the
growing tide of international recognition of this crime against
humanity.  There can be, as a matter of basic morality and political
reality, no enduring relationship between Armenia and Turkey that is
not built upon the foundation of Turkey’s acceptance of a true and
just resolution with respect to the Armenian Genocide.

Further, these Protocols outrageously surrender the historical rights
of the Armenian nation to a just resolution of the Armenian
Genocide. They also dangerously undermine the right to freedom and
self-determination for the Nagorno Karabagh Republic.

Mr. President, your actions in pursuing these protocols are
naïve. They are reckless. And they are simply irresponsible. Your
assertion that they do not contain any preconditions insults our
intelligence. The requirement for a commission of historians, which I
might point out has been soundly rejected by the International
Association of Genocide Scholars, the formal recognition of borders,
and the acknowledgement of territorial integrity without any mention
of self-determination are all preconditions imposed and insisted upon
by Turkey, which you have unwisely accepted at the point of their
blackmail of the closed borders. These preconditions were and are
requirements of Turkey: they are the price you are willing to pay to
the Turkish blackmailers. Many countries readily normalize relations
without such one-sided preconditions.

How dare you accede to Turkish blackmail when our forbearers
sacrificed so much and suffered at the hands of the Turks, who to this
very day deny the Genocide which the rest of the world acknowledges?

How dare you attempt to squander the political capital that so many
have, at great sacrifice, built up over the decades in capitals around
the world? And make no mistake, signing the Protocols would put at
risk that very capital. You have no moral right to do so. You have no
power to do so. And we will not allow you to do so.

You cannot take away the rights of our nation and our people simply
because you view yourself as the savior of our country. You are not
saving our country: you are relegating us to a subservient position
to Turkey while simply abandoning our rights to justice. Your efforts
are doomed to failure.

You will be remembered as the president who led our country to a path
of dependency, who foolishly bargained away our lands, whose
misjudgments led us to a weakened status. If you go forward with these
Protocols, your legacy will be deeply flawed.

Do not attempt to hide behind the support of the minority who blindly
offer support for your initiatives. They are not the true grassroots
of the Diaspora. They simply do not represent the majority of the
community. In the face of our vigilance in confronting successive US
administrations over their blind and unwavering support for Turkey,
their default position is to support these policies of the US State
Department. They are the same people who surrendered Section 907 of
the Freedom Support Act, who supported the disastrous Turkish Armenian
Reconciliation Commission, and who supported the nomination of Richard
Hoagland, a morally reprehensible genocide denier, to be ambassador to
Armenia. They no longer have political relevance in our
community. Don’t be seduced by their meaningless support.

Mr. President, you are making a grave mistake here. I hope you have
the wisdom to listen to your countrymen and to back away from this
disastrous agreement, before you bring great harm to our country, to
our people, and to your presidency.

—————————————————
Full text of the protocol is as follows:

“The Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia,

Desiring to establish good neighbourly relations and to develop bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and other fields for the benefit of their peoples, as envisaged in the Protocol on the development of relations signed on the same day,

Referring to their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris for a New Europe,

Reconfirming their commitment, in their bilateral and international relations, to respect and ensure respect for the principles of equality, sovereignty, non-intervention in internal affairs of other states, territorial integrity and inviolability of frontiers,

Bearing in mind the importance of the creation and maintenance of an atmosphere of trust and confidence between the two countries that will contribute to the strengthening of peace, security and stability of the whole region, as well as being determined to refrain from the threat or the use of force, to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Confirming the mutual recognition of the existing border between the two countries as defined by the relevant treaties of international law,

Emphasizing their decision to open the common border,

Reiterating their commitment to refrain from pursuing any policy incompatible with the spirit of good neighbourly relations,

Condemning all forms of terrorism, violence and extremism irrespective of their cause, pledging to refrain from encouraging and tolerating such acts and to cooperate in combating against them,

Affirming their willingness to chart a new pattern and course for their relations on the basis of common interests, goodwill and in pursuit of peace, mutual understanding and harmony,

Agree to establish diplomatic relations as of the date of the entry into force of this Protocol in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and to exchange Diplomatic Missions.

This Protocol and the Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Armenia shall enter into force on the same day, i.e. on the first day of the first month following the exchange of instruments of ratification.”

============================

what benefits protocols bring to Turkey?

1. Image making? None. No one in the West cares if Turkish-Armenian border is opened and, excuse me, but no one in EU will open doors for this favor either.

2. Attempting to get “genocide resolutions” out of U.S. House or Senate? Foul play. It’s not Sarkisian that brings them to House, it’s the Diaspora, which does not intend to pull back. For Diaspora “genocide” is raison d’etre, and no Sarkisyan or his protocols will cure the problem, they will only prolong the bleeding.

3. Peacemaking? – Losing any trust Turkey has built in Caucasus in return to untrustworthy Armenia, rewarding it for continued occupation and harassment of its neighbors (now they heckle Georgia too). To be honest, I don’t see what Turkey has gained so far by spoiling the trust of Israel, Georgia, and now Azerbaijan in return to new friends … like Syria and Armenia.

All these protocols prove is that Turkey will step back from its principles under pressure, hope that Armenia will soften, while Armenia will not compromise an inch and Diaspora (the real plaintiff) will not recognize any commissions.

Javid

————————————————–

ian-we-prepared-the-text-and-ankara-approved-4104.html
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> NALBANDIAN: “WE PREPARED THE TEXT AND ANKARA APPROVED”
>>> Saturday, 03 October 2009
>>> Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated that the text of the protocols that initialized by Turkey and Armenia on August 31 is totally written by Armenian authors. The protocols that are initialized by Turkey and Armenia towards establishment of diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations are expected to be signed on October 10 by the Foreign Ministers of two countries in Switzerland.
>>> Addressing to Armenian Parliament, Nalbandian said, “The pro tocols that aim normalization of relations with Turkey is committed to paper by Armenian authors. Nobody in Armenia should have doubt about that. Turkish party read the text and made small and short adjustments before they approve it.”
>>>
>>> Once again making statements about Turkey’s precondition of resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for opening of borders, Armenian Foreign Minister said, “The process of normalization of relations with Turkey is substantially the initiative of Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan . Sarksyan clearly said to Turkish party before the dialog starts that the dialogue can be held without preconditions only. And Ankara accepted Sarksyan’s offer. There was not any precondition about Nagorno-Karabakh and there will not be.”
>>> When he is asked whether Armenia will be recognizing Turkey’s territorial integrity indirectly by signing the protocols, Nalbandian said, “If you are getting prepared to establish diplomatic relations with a country, the first thing you have to do is recognizing current borders. There is not another way.”
>>> Criticizing some circles in Armenia that still discuss the treaty of Sevres, Armenian Minister said, “If anybody comes up with only oneclause of Sevres that is on effect now, then our administration will do everything that i t can to defend our interests., butthere is not.The documents of Wilson have no effect. U. S. Congress did not approve treaty of Sevres too.”

Armenian Americans and Turkish Americans both say the governments in their homelands are giving too many concessions. A commission that would study the Armenian genocide is a sore point for some.

By Ann M. Simmons

October 4, 2009

Upset over an agreement that would establish diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey and reopen their common borders, members of the Los Angeles Armenian community plan to rally in Beverly Hills today.

Organizers of the demonstration say they will call on Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to refrain from signing protocols with Turkey that they believe would threaten Armenia’s interests and security.

Sargsyan is scheduled to visit Los Angeles today.

A deal that would essentially normalize relations between the long-estranged nations is expected to be signed this month. But the agreement faces opposition from both Armenian Americans and Turkish Americans, who argue that the governments in their homelands are making unreasonable concessions.

“We’re not against normalization and peace with Turkey,” said Arek Santikian, a UCLA student and chairman of the Armenian Youth Federation of the Western United States. “We really would want peace. But we can’t have peace with preconditions.”

Among the agreement’s provisions is the creation of a historical commission that would evaluate the bloody history between the two countries. The Armenian genocide of 1915 to 1918 claimed the lives of about 1.2 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire, which became the modern republic of Turkey. The Turkish government disputes that a genocide took place.

A historical commission would allow Turkey “to question the veracity of the genocide,” Santikian said. “We know that it happened. We can’t put a question mark on that.”

Turkey disputes the number of those killed and argues that Armenians were equally brutal in slaying Turks when they revolted against their Ottoman rulers and aligned themselves with invading Russian troops.

Armenian American critics of the agreement also argue that the protocols would allow Turkey to keep eastern territories they say are historically part of Armenia.

They are also concerned about the future of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed enclave populated mainly by ethnic Armenians but within the borders of Azerbaijan, which has close ethnic and political ties with Turkey.

“The protocols are not proportional,” said Caspar Jivalagian, a student at Southwestern Law School and an Armenian Youth Federation member. “It is a very pro-Turkish document.”

But many Turkish Americans disagree.

“Turkey is giving too much and getting too little in return,” said Ergun Kirlikovali, West Coast director of the Assembly of Turkish American Assns.

Some believe the Turkish government is selling out Azerbaijan by reconciling with Armenia before the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh has been settled. Others fear Turkey might be forced to give back land.

Kirlikovali said Turks are also tired of being defamed by Armenians who were “constantly pushing a bogus genocide claim . . . and distorting and misrepresenting history.”

He argued that a historical commission would allow experts to come to a “nonpolitical” verdict on the issue, and said that’s why Armenians were opposed to the creation of such a panel. It could debunk their main indictment against Turks, Kirlikovali said.

Gunay Evinch, the assembly’s Washington, D.C.-based president and a Fulbright scholar, said that despite the concerns over the consequences of the accord between Turkey and Armenia, the agreement presented “a unique opportunity to move forward for these countries and their people, but not without risks.”

[email protected]

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times