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YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The suit filed by the American Armenians against Turkey has scared the Turks. Specialist in Turkology Artak Shakaryan said at a news conference today referring to the suit filed by the American Armenians against Turkey with the demand of compensating for the 1915 Armenian Genocide committed in Turkey. He says Turks only now understands that Armenia may demand compensation in this way.
“Turkey is scared. Many analysts are calming down the Turkish public that this is only political affair and there is no legal ground, that none of the US courts can start a forensic case against Turkey. Turks were not ready for it. Their responses are mainly of defensive nature and are aimed at calming down the Turkish public,” he said. According to him, the further fate of the forensic process depends on the US President Barack Obama and Administration.
A. Shakaryan noted that there is a special law in the United States on protecting the foreign states through American judicial system – that is to say the USA cannot adopt any decision that may influence a foreign state but there is an exclusion which functions in case of seized property with the methods contradicting the international tight. He said the lawyers must do everything to prove that the property of Armenians have been seized violating the international right acting at that time.
Speaking whether it would have been more expedient to start the case earlier, the expert said that if it was done in 40-50s it would have been much more effective. “Though at that time it would not have been possible to file suit against Turkey in the USA as there was the Soviet Union, NATO-member Turkey, which was very essential for the United States in fighting against the Soviet Union. Today our mentality has changed: previously we were speaking about the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, now we entered the new qualitative phase – phase of compensation,” Shakaryan said.