Recognition of genocide by Turks is shortest path to reconciliation - Armenian President

Euronews conducted an interview with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in the capital Yerevan. They spoke about Armenia’s place in the modern world, Armenian-Turkish relations and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey.

Olaf Bruns, euronews: President, these days your country commemorates atrocious events, an unspeakable suffering that happened to your people. And even 100 years later, the wounds still seem deep. What is your message to the world?

Serzh Sargsyan: The events that will commemorate the victims of the genocide contain in themselves a few messages. The first one is the message of remembrance. We think the crimes against humanity can not be forgotten with time. The second message during the events is gratitude, which is directly linked to the message of remembrance. It is gratitude to those individuals, organizations and nations and states that at the most difficult moment for us spoke up and extended a helpful hand to us and helped some of our people to survive. The third message is a mix of both remembrance and gratitude that leads towards prevention against the recurrence of such crimes and it is our duty to find out and point out the patterns and the causal relations that can later turn into this type of crime. With this we say that it is necessary to fight against these particular phenomena in order to be able to prevent future genocides and other crimes against humanity from recurring. And a final general message, the fourth one, is the message of a nation rising from the ashes. We say that those who wished us harm did not succeed in erasing us from the earth.

Olaf Bruns, euronews: Everybody agrees of course that lessons must be drawn from the past. But even 100 years later, Turkey and Armenia still seem entrenched in this debate. Is there a way for your countries to move forward to work together on other topics, or will it be a stumbling block that keeps them apart?

Serzh Sargsyan: I myself in my capacity as the president of the Republic of Armenia have tried two times to embark upon this path. And the two presidents who preceded me tried to embark upon that same path. We have declared our intention to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without any preconditions. After that, parties could have discussed and addressed all issues that exist between them. The second such attempt was made on the eve of the Armenian genocide centennial. Several months in advance I sent a letter to the president of Turkey. That letter was delivered in person by our foreign minister to the appropriate Turkish officials, so it was not just a publicised action. And by that letter I invited him to partake in the April 24th events and to express jointly condolences and commemorate all victims. But the Turkish authorities decided otherwise: They decided to hold on April 24th – our genocide remembrance day – celebrations for the Gallipoli battle.

Olaf Bruns, euronews: In the past days the Turkish side has unleashed all their anger, there were harsh statements, unusually harsh reactions to the statement of the pope, to a resolution voted by the European parliament. What is your feeling when your hear theses expressions of anger?

Serzh Sargsyan: For us those statements and reactions of the Turkish side were not in any way or shape unexpected. We have always heard and witnessed their denialist posturing. We have also seen that every time they renewed their toolbox of denial. With regard to the statement by His Holiness, I consider that to be an appropriate one. You know, I believe that a world free of crimes against humanity can be achieved only with the leadership of strong people. His holiness is a great leader, just and truth speaking.

Olaf Bruns, euronews: What would you wish the Turkish side to say? Or put differently: If they’d recognize the term genocide, would you consider everything to be alright in the relations?

Serzh Sargsyan: Without doubt, the recognition of the genocide by the Turks is the shortest path to reconciliation of our nations. And it is my strong conviction: if it is done, and if it is done sincerely, I believe in a short period of time relations between Armenia and Turkey would be elevated to a new, quite high level.

Olaf Bruns, euronews: Turkey had suggested the formation of an international committee of historians who would settle the issue once and for all and it would accept the outcome of this. In your view, what is wrong with this proposal?

Serzh Sargsyan: First, from the very beginning it is incorrect since I am not aware of a case that historians sat down, made a decision and the question was settled once and for all. This was the first point. Secondly, I can not imagine how such a commission shall operate, since the Turkish historians would be under pressure of the Turkish society and Turkish authorities’ pressure, and the Armenian historians would be under the pressure of the Armenian society and Armenian authorities’. But even these are not the most important arguments. The most important is the following: the specialized structures, countries that posses the largest archives on this issue have no doubts about it. There are no doubts about it and I again return to what happened at the Vatican: What do you think, isn’t the Vatican one of the most well informed of the events that unfolded during the First World War? What do you think, does the Vatican feel a shortage of well-educated historians? For us such a proposal in itself is an insulting one since it questions the very fact and veracity of the Armenian genocide. Ultimately, what will the historians find out? How many people died? And is there a significant difference whether one and a half million people or one million four hundred forty nine thousand people died?