Tweet
`It was time to end up with uncertainty'
February 21 2015
Vahram Ter-Matevosyan about recall of the Armenian-Turkish protocols A
few days ago, Serzh Sargsyan recalled the Armenian-Turkish protocols
from the National Assembly, and this decision as such became the
subject of discussion for everyone. Turkey considered it `wrong and an
unsuccessful move,' while the main opinion among the Armenian circles
was that it should be have been done earlier. Turkologist Vahram
Ter-Matevosyan in the conversation with `Aravot' said that no sense to
talk whether the president's decision was late or not, but the point
that it was correct, it is just indisputable. `It is clear to everyone
that Armenia in this process was left alone, except perhaps for the
United States,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan and notes that on October 5,
at the time of the signing of the protocols in Zurich, the state and
the institutions backing up Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu in
the meantime failed to exercise their commitments; some of them over
the time got `sick and tired', while for the others, more important
political issues emerged. `Thus, the very slow process of
normalization of the Armenian ` Turkish relations retreated in their
list of priorities and became not important. As a result, Armenia,
unfortunately, was left alone, and it was time to put an end to the
uncertainty,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan. He thinks that Armenian,
however, learned lessons from this process. `It was able to sit alone
facing the Turks and to negotiate making clarifications on some
issues, and why not, also reporting more uncertainty on some issues,
but apart from this episode, I think that this attempt of
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and establishment of a
new platform did not work out,' says the Turkologist. I think that
Turkey obtained some benefit from the situation. `For Turkey, this
process had created a very good mechanism to `sell' the following
thesis to the international community: `Do not disturb the
Armenian-Turkish process, as it seems that though with difficulty, but
it is moving forward.' Let's not forget that on many occasions, both
Davutoglu and Erdogan repeated that processes and meetings take place,
and these assertions were followed by denials from the Armenian side,
in addition, the EU, PACE and Council of Europe, everyone seem to be
more prone to the formulation that good or bad, it seems that the
process is taking place, and it's better to not disturb by being
silent or expressing a passive stance,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan.
He also tends to believe that ratification of the Armenian-Turkish
protocols was a chance that the Turkish people lost. `When the next
one will be, how it will be and in what format, it is a question. But
the point that Turkey's political leadership failed to demonstrate a
political will and give a solution to this problem, it is a fact, and
as Abdullah Gül said in September 6, 2008, for not leaving this
problem for the future generations. The Turkish side was unable to
keep its promise, it failed to demonstrate such a political will so
that to be able to move this promise at least one step forward and be
able to implement it,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan.
Referring to ErdoÄ?an's statement made recently at the symposium in
Columbia saying that let the historians deal with studying the
Genocide, our interlocutor says, `This is one of the vain and empty
theses of Turkish propaganda machine that no longer withstands any
criticism. Numerous experts, both prestigious and non-prestigious,
everyone has repeatedly expressed their opinions about it. The talks
about the Genocide are excluded because there is nothing to prove and
if the Turks do not know the history of their country, let them be
kind enough to go and explore as much as they need. Setting up a
Turkish-Armenian committee of historians was and continues to be a
crazy idea. Any manipulation and stalling around it is unacceptable,
and next time, Armenia should never take this bait, no matter in what
package it will be offered to the public or the Diaspora. And then,
even the Turkish experts are not entitled to do researches in the
archives, which contain real and fundamental information. How can you
imagine the Armenian historians' unobstructed work in highly
important, let's say, archives of the General Staff?' says Vahram
Ter-Matevosyan.
To the observation of `Aravot' whether it would not be more correct to
emphasis also the legal demand in the list of events dedicated to the
centennial of the Genocide, as some people think that `I remember and
demand' motto does not fully reflect our desires, Mr. Ter-Matevosyan
replied, `I think there could not be a motto or a formulation that
would satisfy everyone. This motto was selected that is easy to
remember, has an advice and a content. This was followed by the
Declaration on January 29, which seems was intended to complete the
formulation. We can talk endlessly and discuss the positive and
negative aspects. But we must remember that it is a never-ending
process, the Declaration is not the final word. At this point, we have
what we have. Of course, it would be desirable to elaborate the
complete symbolism of the Genocide events as a result of more
extensive professional discussions, the core message and the advice.
It would be desirable that the experts of the sphere be involved in
it, unfortunately, I have not heard anything like that, maybe my
senior colleagues are involved, but the contacts show that their
involvement is not also too extensive,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan,
adding that the important thing is that currently we have our
political position about the Armenian genocide. `We should make sure
that this `Remember and demand' motto becomes a part of subconscious
and conscious for every Armenian, and the most important task should
be the one of what each of us has done in the series of these events
for 2015 rather than waiting for the report of what the government has
done. This is everybody's pain, everybody's history and memory.'
HRIPSIME HOVHANNISYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2015/02/21/168952/
February 21 2015
Vahram Ter-Matevosyan about recall of the Armenian-Turkish protocols A
few days ago, Serzh Sargsyan recalled the Armenian-Turkish protocols
from the National Assembly, and this decision as such became the
subject of discussion for everyone. Turkey considered it `wrong and an
unsuccessful move,' while the main opinion among the Armenian circles
was that it should be have been done earlier. Turkologist Vahram
Ter-Matevosyan in the conversation with `Aravot' said that no sense to
talk whether the president's decision was late or not, but the point
that it was correct, it is just indisputable. `It is clear to everyone
that Armenia in this process was left alone, except perhaps for the
United States,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan and notes that on October 5,
at the time of the signing of the protocols in Zurich, the state and
the institutions backing up Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu in
the meantime failed to exercise their commitments; some of them over
the time got `sick and tired', while for the others, more important
political issues emerged. `Thus, the very slow process of
normalization of the Armenian ` Turkish relations retreated in their
list of priorities and became not important. As a result, Armenia,
unfortunately, was left alone, and it was time to put an end to the
uncertainty,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan. He thinks that Armenian,
however, learned lessons from this process. `It was able to sit alone
facing the Turks and to negotiate making clarifications on some
issues, and why not, also reporting more uncertainty on some issues,
but apart from this episode, I think that this attempt of
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and establishment of a
new platform did not work out,' says the Turkologist. I think that
Turkey obtained some benefit from the situation. `For Turkey, this
process had created a very good mechanism to `sell' the following
thesis to the international community: `Do not disturb the
Armenian-Turkish process, as it seems that though with difficulty, but
it is moving forward.' Let's not forget that on many occasions, both
Davutoglu and Erdogan repeated that processes and meetings take place,
and these assertions were followed by denials from the Armenian side,
in addition, the EU, PACE and Council of Europe, everyone seem to be
more prone to the formulation that good or bad, it seems that the
process is taking place, and it's better to not disturb by being
silent or expressing a passive stance,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan.
He also tends to believe that ratification of the Armenian-Turkish
protocols was a chance that the Turkish people lost. `When the next
one will be, how it will be and in what format, it is a question. But
the point that Turkey's political leadership failed to demonstrate a
political will and give a solution to this problem, it is a fact, and
as Abdullah Gül said in September 6, 2008, for not leaving this
problem for the future generations. The Turkish side was unable to
keep its promise, it failed to demonstrate such a political will so
that to be able to move this promise at least one step forward and be
able to implement it,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan.
Referring to ErdoÄ?an's statement made recently at the symposium in
Columbia saying that let the historians deal with studying the
Genocide, our interlocutor says, `This is one of the vain and empty
theses of Turkish propaganda machine that no longer withstands any
criticism. Numerous experts, both prestigious and non-prestigious,
everyone has repeatedly expressed their opinions about it. The talks
about the Genocide are excluded because there is nothing to prove and
if the Turks do not know the history of their country, let them be
kind enough to go and explore as much as they need. Setting up a
Turkish-Armenian committee of historians was and continues to be a
crazy idea. Any manipulation and stalling around it is unacceptable,
and next time, Armenia should never take this bait, no matter in what
package it will be offered to the public or the Diaspora. And then,
even the Turkish experts are not entitled to do researches in the
archives, which contain real and fundamental information. How can you
imagine the Armenian historians' unobstructed work in highly
important, let's say, archives of the General Staff?' says Vahram
Ter-Matevosyan.
To the observation of `Aravot' whether it would not be more correct to
emphasis also the legal demand in the list of events dedicated to the
centennial of the Genocide, as some people think that `I remember and
demand' motto does not fully reflect our desires, Mr. Ter-Matevosyan
replied, `I think there could not be a motto or a formulation that
would satisfy everyone. This motto was selected that is easy to
remember, has an advice and a content. This was followed by the
Declaration on January 29, which seems was intended to complete the
formulation. We can talk endlessly and discuss the positive and
negative aspects. But we must remember that it is a never-ending
process, the Declaration is not the final word. At this point, we have
what we have. Of course, it would be desirable to elaborate the
complete symbolism of the Genocide events as a result of more
extensive professional discussions, the core message and the advice.
It would be desirable that the experts of the sphere be involved in
it, unfortunately, I have not heard anything like that, maybe my
senior colleagues are involved, but the contacts show that their
involvement is not also too extensive,' says Mr. Ter-Matevosyan,
adding that the important thing is that currently we have our
political position about the Armenian genocide. `We should make sure
that this `Remember and demand' motto becomes a part of subconscious
and conscious for every Armenian, and the most important task should
be the one of what each of us has done in the series of these events
for 2015 rather than waiting for the report of what the government has
done. This is everybody's pain, everybody's history and memory.'
HRIPSIME HOVHANNISYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2015/02/21/168952/