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  • President Of Armenia: The Most Vital Issue Is The Implementation By

    PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: THE MOST VITAL ISSUE IS THE IMPLEMENTATION BY THE PEOPLE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH OF ITS RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION.

    ArmInfo
    2010-04-06 10:34:00

    ArmInfo. The joint Armenian-Turkish commission of historians to study
    the facts of the past cannot work impartially if in Turkey people are
    persecuted and tried for a criminal offence if they use the very term
    Genocide, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview
    with the German Der Spiegel.

    Here is the full text of the interview.

    Der Spiegel: In his interview with Der Spiegel, speaking about the
    Genocide which had taken place during World War I, Turkish Prime
    Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that "there can be no talk of
    genocide." Why cannot your neighboring country come to terms with
    its own past?

    Sargsyan: Recently another statement was made that the Turks couldn't
    have possibly committed the Genocide and the Turkish history is "bright
    and clear as the sun". The Turks are opposed to the definition of
    the event as Genocide. However, Ankara is not the one to decide on
    this issue.

    Der Spiegel: Now Erdogan is even threatening to expel thousands of
    Armenians illegally residing in Turkey.

    Sargsyan: Unacceptable statements such as that one stir up in our
    nation the memories of the Genocide. Unfortunately, such statements
    articulated by the Turkish politicians come as no surprise to me.

    Der Spiegel: How should the international community respond?

    Sargsyan: The international community must respond resolutely. The
    US, Europe, as well as Germany, all those countries that have been
    involved in this process of Armenian-Turkish rapprochement should
    unequivocally state their position. Had all the states recognized
    the Armenian Genocide by now, the Turks wouldn't talk that way. It is
    however inspiring that many young people in Turkey stood up against
    that statement. A new generation is growing in Turkey and the political
    leadership of that country should reckon with its opinion.

    Der Spiegel: Turkey accuses you of maintaining a tough position on
    setting up a bilateral commission of historians. Why do you oppose
    the creation of such a commission?

    Sargsyan: How can such a commission work impartially if in Turkey
    people are persecuted and tried for a criminal offence if they use
    the very term Genocide? For Ankara it is important to protract the
    process of decision-making indefinitely so that when parliaments or
    governments of other countries undertake the adoption of a resolution
    on the Genocide recognition, they can say, "don't meddle in, these
    issues are being sorted out by our historians." Creation of such a
    commission would have meant casting doubt on the veracity of the
    Genocide perpetrated against our people. It is unacceptable. Had
    Turkey admitted its guilt, the creation of the commission would have
    been justified. In that case the scholars could have studied jointly
    the causes triggering that tragedy.

    Der Spiegel: The Genocide took place 95 years ago. Why its recognition
    is so important for Armenia?

    Sargsyan: It is a matter of historical justice and it is also a matter
    of our national security. The best way to prevent the repetition of
    such horrendous events is to condemn them unambiguously.

    Der Spiegel: From the windows of your office one can see the symbol of
    Armenia Mount Ararat. Today, it is on the other side of the border -
    unreachable. Turkey is afraid of territorial and retribution claims.

    Do you want Ararat back?

    Sargsyan: Nobody can take it away from us: Ararat is in our hearts. In
    every Armenian home, in every corner of the world you will find the
    image of Mount Ararat. I believe that the time will come when Ararat
    instead of being the symbol of divide will become the symbol of
    common understanding between our two nations. However, I would like
    to clarify the following: no official in Armenia has ever presented
    any territorial claims to Turkey. The Turks ascribe such claims to
    us themselves, probably since they have a sense of guilt?

    Der Spiegel: Your borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed; Iran
    and Georgia are difficult neighbors. Won't it be a better trade-off
    to get a breakthrough in that isolation instead of quarrelling
    indefinitely with Turkey about the Genocide?

    Sargsyan: We don't link the Genocide recognition to the opening
    of borders. And it is not our fault that the rapprochement is not
    getting through.

    Der Spiegel: Turkey wants to link the opening of the border with the
    progress in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution. The Armenians
    held up in the war unleashed on that territory towards which Azerbaijan
    have been laying claims since the break up of the Soviet Union.

    Sargsyan: Turkey constantly wants us to make concessions, but it is
    impossible. The most vital issue is the implementation by the people
    of Nagorno Karabakh of its right to self-determination. If Azerbaijan
    recognizes the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, I believe the issue
    can be solved in a matter of hours. Unfortunately, they still believe
    that they should bring Nagorno Karabakh back, while returning Nagorno
    Karabakh back under the control of Azerbaijan would mean that before
    long Nagorno Karabakh will be rid of all its Armenian population.

    Der Spiegel: What kind of solution would you propose?

    Sargsyan: Why the republics of the former Yugoslavia had been able
    to become independent? Why, then, should Nagorno Karabakh be denied
    the same rights? Is it just because Azerbaijan has got some oil and
    gas and a patron like Turkey? We cannot consider it fair.
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