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ANCA: IF RA PRESIDENT GOES FORWARD WITH PROTOCOLS, HIS LEGACY WILL BE DEEPLY FLAWED
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2009 11:49 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of America chairman
Ken Hachikian said that the ANCA 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," he said during
the meeting with the Armenian President in New York on October 3.
"Mr. President, your actions in pursuing these protocols are
naive. They are reckless. And they are simply irresponsible. Your
assertion that they do not contain any preconditions insults our
intellige ch 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 thes ate 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," Mr. Hachikian said.
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2009 11:49 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of America chairman
Ken Hachikian said that the ANCA 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," he said during
the meeting with the Armenian President in New York on October 3.
"Mr. President, your actions in pursuing these protocols are
naive. They are reckless. And they are simply irresponsible. Your
assertion that they do not contain any preconditions insults our
intellige ch 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 thes ate 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," Mr. Hachikian said.