For NA RPA faction MP, also historian Hamlet Harutyunyan, the “Declaration on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide” is a successful document. “It is a wonderful Declaration, all the aspects are touched upon, and it no way obstructs the world to recognize the Armenian Genocide,” said Hamlet Harutyunyan. Referring to the First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s remarks, Mr. Harutyunyan opines that if it were an ideal document, it would also be criticized. “Of course, it does not bother Ter-Petrosyan to make editing retroactively, but no one obstructed him to participate in drafting of the document and made his remarks then. There is no ideal document, and I do not recall a document that deserves nationwide appraisal, dissatisfied people are always found.”
The First president’s allegation that presenting an ultimatum via Declaration and making calls to Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide do not contribute to normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, in response Hamlet Harutyunyan continued, “Ter-Petrosyan clearly realizes that the Armenian-Turkish relations will not improve anything at this stage, and these complex issues will not be improved by any legal act and a document. How can you expect improvement of relationship from a hostile country? Armenia did everything to normalize these relations, it even invited the President of Turkey to Armenia, but Turkey continues the anti-Armenian policy and will continue as long as it is guided by main directions of the Ottoman and Kemalist Turkey. Their dream is deleting Armenia and the Armenian people from the map.
If the First president is so optimistic that it is possible to improve the Armenian-Turkish relations, so let him specify all the steps, which in case of doing them, our relations will improve. At this stage, I do not believe that Turkey or Azerbaijan will establish good neighborly relations with Armenia. Turkey and Azerbaijan are preparing for a new genocide, and if the international situation turns to be so that Turkey and Azerbaijan may jointly attack Armenia, then they will not hesitate a minute. What? Does Levon Ter-Petrosyan doubt?” The parliamentarian claims that thanks is binding to all countries that recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide. “Well, what should we do, to tell why have you recognize the genocide? Shouldn’t we say thank you to the French president Hollande for coming to Armenia on April 24 and honoring our victims? The First president says that they were obligated to recognize by the international conventions, this is an Armenian mentality – the whole world is obliged to us.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
