Tweet
'THEY DID NOT SUCCEED IN ERASING US FROM THE EARTH' - SERZH SARGSYAN
16:01 * 23.04.15
Marking 100 years since the Armenian massacres, euronews met with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in the capital Yerevan.
Here we spoke of Armenia's place in the modern world, Armenian-Turkish
relations and the recognition of the killings 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, Armenian President:
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, Armenian President:
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, Armenian President:
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, Armenian President:
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, Armenian President:
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?
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/04/23/euronews-president-interview/1655637
16:01 * 23.04.15
Marking 100 years since the Armenian massacres, euronews met with
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in the capital Yerevan.
Here we spoke of Armenia's place in the modern world, Armenian-Turkish
relations and the recognition of the killings 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, Armenian President:
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, Armenian President:
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, Armenian President:
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, Armenian President:
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, Armenian President:
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?
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/04/23/euronews-president-interview/1655637