E. Sharmazanov, “The process of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is inevitable”

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS: “Turkey must come to terms with its history, look straight in the eyes of the history and not be afraid of the history, for it is clear that even after nearly a hundred years the whole international community recognizes the Armenian Genocide,” member of the Armenian National Assembly, Press Secretary of the Armenian Republican Party Edward Sharmazanov told Armenpress commenting on the March 11 decision of the Swedish parliament on recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, as well as on the statements voiced by Turkey on that occasion.

According to E. Sharmazanov, a complex towards the history is noticed in the circles of Turkey’s political upper class and prime minister. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, undertaking the regulation process of Armenian-Turkish relations without preconditions, had a goal to help the Turkish people to come to terms with the history.

“It is not possible to live long by being afraid of the history and by putting taboo on the issue in the own country knowing the truth at the same time. Both in the U.S. Congress and in the Swedish parliament, all the parliament members, who voted against the resolution, did not justify their decision by the statement that there was no genocide but by accepting the fact of the Armenian Genocide they noted that it is not the time, and it can harm the bilateral relations. The process is inevitable; some day the Turks, too, must recognize the genocide and get rid of their complex. Our task is to help our neighbors to reconcile themselves with the history, to realize that the process is inevitable,” the NA member stated.

The process of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, in general, E. Sharmazanov assessed as positive; it is also connected with the Armenian president’s initiative foreign policy of the last two years. “We are criticized inside the country with the statements that the establishment of Armenia-Turkey relations or the beginning of the process can harm the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. But time proved that it has been never spoken of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and crimes against humanity so much, as during the last 1, 5-2 years.

President Sargsyan’s initiative policy toward regulation of Armenia-Turkey relations appeared to be a new impetus for the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The steps of the Armenian diplomacy, Armenian lobby, whole Diaspora and our international partners in that direction should be positively assessed. All the troubles that the newly-started Armenian-Turkish process will push the recognition of the genocide to the background vanished,” the NA member noted.

On March 11, the Swedish Riksdag adopted the resolution on recognizing the Armenian genocide by 131 for and 130 against. The project, which was put into circulation still in autumn, 2008, was supported by three opposition parties – Social-Democrats, Greens and Lefts. The events taken place in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire are defined in the document as genocide; the massacres of national minorities living in the Ottoman Empire – Assyrians and Pontus Greek are also commemorated there.

According to the Turkish mass media, after the adoption of the resolution, Turkish Prime Minister Rejeb Tayyip Erdogan prolonged the visit to Sweden intended for March 17. T. Erdogan also came forward with a statement condemning the resolution noting that step does not correspond to the friendly relations of Ankara and Stockholm. With the purpose of consultations, Ankara called back its ambassador to Sweden Zergyun Korutyurk, who will arrive in Ankara today.

Sweden is the 21st state which recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide. Among the countries condemned the greatest offence against humanity at the beginning of the 21st century are Uruguay, Argentina, Cyprus, Russia, Greece, Lebanon, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, France, Switzerland, Canada, Slovakia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania, Venezuela, Chile and Vatican, 42 American states, numerous international organizations, including the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches.

“We are sure that Sweden will extend activity directed toward recognizing the events of 1915 as genocide within the frameworks of the European Union and United Nations Organization. The recognition of the genocide of 1915 will not only serve as a unique compensation for representatives of those national groups and minorities, which continue to live in Turkey, but will also promote the further development of that country.

Turkey cannot be considered a democratic state as long as it denies the true image of the past,” the resolution of Riksdag states.