“Davutoglu`s the main issue that highlights his mind is to pass an equality sign between the individuals that were killed during the Armenian Genocide at first world war and Muslims soldiers which were killed on the battlefield. This is an old trick of Turkish to put all the victims on the same plane and thus create an impression that they suffer, feel pain and remember all the victims”.
The historian of the National Academy of Sciences and head of the Department of the Armenian Genocide Armen Marukyan talked to “Aravot.am” and expressed his ideas concerning Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu statement made on 20 April. Mr. Marukyan reminded Davutoglu`s words, who said that there was a liturgy on the memory of the Armenian Genocide at the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul. Armen Marukyan said that this was a fabrication.
-“At the Patriarchate there will be a liturgy to victims who died in the First World War: the Ottoman Empire, all the victims, including Muslims, who have fallen on the battlefield. This is not a liturgy to Armenian victims.”
Davutoglu said.
Read also
-“We, as the first world war participants and a nation that endured the suffering, like grandchildren of people belonging to different ethnic and religious communities remember what happened to the Ottoman Armenians and pay tribute to them and sympathize with their grandchildren”.
This, according to the historian, is a cynical formulation, which arises misunderstanding in European countries, as, the criminal state should not regret, it should apologize.
-“It is pointed out that Turkey is ready to face its history: the Pope`s and the European Parliament resolution of the matter included such message but Turks consider only to come to terms with compassion and to make emphasis on the suffering”.
Mr. Marukyan quoted Davutoglu words.
-“Turkish nation is saddled with the generalization of the responsibility .The words of hatred are problematic both from the matter of conscience and from a legal point of view.”
Armen Marukyan explained.
-“A country that rejects conscience and distorts international law, speaks of conscience and the right. This is a problem for Turkey, because the human conscience denies genocide and crimes against the humanity and avoids legal liability that may ensue after the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”
The historian said that Turkey is trying to present the crime in the context of the atrocities of World War II, but the Armenian side is obliged to give him an answer.
– “The policy of genocide started in the region of Abdul Hamid when there was no World War The First and the Ottoman Empire and its successor Turkey continued the genocide in World War I. In 1918 ended the war when the Turkish army invaded East Kemal and continued the Armenian Genocide. In 1921 the Cilician massacre began”.
In essence, Davutoglu`s message, according to the historian, is an effort to calm the international community, because Turkey is getting slaps from Europe. According to Marukyan Turkish Prime Minister expressed himself diplomatically mild and moderately. On the eve of April 24 Erdogan will speak and will try to try to weaken their pressures. At the White House, the historian says, is being discussed what new formulation to give to Armenian Genocide. They will try to keep the golden mean, but some changes have taken place and the Turkey’s ambitious policy, taking its political line, sometimes contrasts with the apparent US and EU interests.
– “This leads to the fact that Turkey must indeed be reined, it should be explained that Turkey does not have the weight to be able to take on this role in the region. Nothing can be ruled out, but I think, regardless of the type of USA announcement, it will make some pressure on Turkey, because there are already signs that the gas agreement with Russia has been sighed. The economic and geopolitical interests are primary. We need to understand that genocide is a tool to normalize relations with Turkey; we must not have big expectations that USA will do something for the sake of the Armenians. We must have our agenda to move forward and not to depend on this or that country. ”
Nelly BABAYAN
