Genocide is a Historical Reality and It Needs No Further Academic Investigation to Be Proved

• 03.26.2015, 11:15
• Liana Hovhannisyan
•  Region,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  World,  Armenia

Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek  had a speech entitled "Turkey-U.S. Relations in the 21st Century" at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington on March 24. In his speech he also referred to the policies of Turkey on the eve of the Centennial of Armenian Genocide blaming the Armenian side for not reciprocation Turkey’s "approach with candidness". On the occasion he once more resorted to the long-held thesis of the Turkish side to transform the issue of Genocide recognition from political to academic sphere, open the archives to the researcher and let the historians examine the issue.

No matter how "polite" the Turkish approach towards the Armenian Genocide recognition may seem at first glance, unfortunately they remain on declaratory level only, while the ever-present reality proves just the opposite.

The Turkish side voices about its "approach with candidness" but continues its policy of oppression towards the Armenians in Turkey. The recent proof of such kind of policy was the information disseminated in the media that the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople will not join the Armenian churches to serve a liturgy on April 23 to honor the memory of the innocent victims. That is to say bells in Armenian churches all around the world will ring for 100 times on April 23, 7:15 p.m. everywhere in the world expect in Turkey. Does it speak of Turkey’s "approach with candidness" – of course, it is hard to say it does.

Second, Turkish side speaks about opening archives and asks the Armenian side to join to examine historical facts. Aside from the undoubted reality that Genocide is a historical reality and it needs no further academic investigation to be proved, the Armenian side has no ground to trust the Turkish side and to cooperate with Turkey on the issues. The facts will speak for themselves if one just mentions the  recent statement of the founder of the Egypt’s Jihat Party Sheik Nabil Naim, according to which Turkish  government paid over 1 million dollars bribe to Muslim Brotherhood to destroy Armenian Genocide related documents at an institute in Egypt.

Thus in spite of "polite" declarative statements of the Turkish officials which aim at closing the eyes of international community on Turkish continual denial policy of the Armenian Genocide, Armenian side has no ground to trust the Turkish government - a government that violating all accepted ethical norms celebrates the mourning day of his neighboring country commemorating  the victory of Gallipoli battle on April 24 for the first time in hundredth years.