Ahead to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide: it requires working towards marketing

French political scientist Gaidz Minassian thinks that Armenia was to recall its signature from the Armenian-Turkish protocols long ago

“… We do not consider the Turkish society as our enemy. Bowing to the memory of the innocent victims, we remember all those Turks, Turkish families who lent a helping hand to their Armenian neighbors, friends being annihilated by the barbarians and helped numerous Armenian children escape from the clutches of the mob. God bless the memories of those who gave plenty of our compatriots a helping hand by risking even their and their families’ lives. Every society including Turks should be proud of their ancestors who rescued lives and threw down the gauntlet to the Genocide. We remember this,” said Serzh Sargsyan in his message on the Remembrance Day of the Armenian Genocide victims. He summed up the message, “The year 2015 should convey a strong message to Turkey. The attitude toward Armenia can no longer be measured by words because it presumes clear steps: the opening of the closed borders and the establishment of normal relations. Our position on the Armenian-Turkish protocols has not changed and the idea of “reasonable terms” is becoming more urgent than ever.” And will Armenia recall its signature from the Armenian-Turkish protocols? We asked the French-Armenian political scientist Gaidz Minassian whether it would be a correct move by the official Yerevan, “It should have been done long ago. There was no need for these protocols. If you wished to normalize our relations with Turkey, which is extremely important, it should not be done that way.” And to our question of how it is possible to normalize relations with Turkey, the French-Armenian political scientist answered, “In my opinion, the societies need to communicate, get closer, the states should not interfere in the process, the countries entered into the process too early, Russia interfered in the process. Nothing else could be expected, if Armenia really is going to declare about recalling of its signature from the protocols. Turkey still treats Armenians in the same way, for instances, the unhappy events in Kessab, Turkey always acts against Armenians, and after all, go and sit around the table of negotiations with Turkey… I hope that the border of Armenia with Turkey will be open, but not at the cost of these protocols. Every sector was included in these protocols, instead of raising the issues rather slowly, instead of holding public negotiations, and not in secret. The time for secret diplomacies has passed, when two days before April 24 it became clear that there is a reconciliation project between Turkey and Armenia… It is offensive. Now, let’s forget these protocols. The relations with Turkey should be improved on another level, by the communities of Armenia and Turkey, and with the Diaspora. As for the public level, of course, they should enter into negotiation, but not in the same way as it was done by these protocols, there are also alternative ways. For example, there is no need to discuss this issue with historians, the history has passed. Now, we need to establish a Committee on psychological matters because there is a problem of psychology and trust between Armenians and Turks, which must be overcome, this atmosphere should be reach through the communities, and then proceed to settlement of relations on the level of authorities. But not in the way as it was done by the Russian initiative, by artificially introducing into the agenda, so that Russia deals with the issues of the Armenia-Turkey border using its leverages, so that the U.S. and Europe do not interfere in the matter.” We asked Gaidz Minassian whether ahead to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we can say that the authorities of Armenia and the Diaspora are duly getting prepared, whether we are working sufficiently, what goals we pursue to declare on the eve of the 100^th anniversary and try to accomplish them. Our interlocutor noted that the Diaspora institutions, and the RA authorities, of course, have programs, but to conduct dynamic processes and exert pressure on the international community, Gaidz Minassian thinks that it is necessary to work towards marketing and communications. “The community, Diaspora institutions, all of whom has a work to do, there is a lack of marketing. I approach the question positively and hope that these tactics will be raised at least since September. The reaction on the occasion of 50^th anniversary of Genocide in 1965 was not great because we were living in Soviet Armenia, Armenia was not independent, and then, no lobbying work was going on in the Diaspora. In other words, the difference is huge, today, Armenia is a sovereign state, and it has conducted a fifty-year struggle for the recognition of the Genocide, in different ways. Today, all the people know very well what has happened in 1915, they have heard and read, today’s people of the world are more well-informed, in other words, there is a great noise, and the noise should be higher than it was fifty years ago. Fifty years ago, few people knew about the Armenian genocide: scientists and historians, but not the communities. Now, everyone knows it, but how to use this result: to further weaken or strengthen … This is the challenge of the Armenian authorities and the Diaspora: what to do and how,” noted the French-Armenian political scientist.

Emma GABRIELYAN

“Aravot” Daily