YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS. The reconciliation between Armenian and Turkish people is difficult, if not impossible, without honest historical acknowledgment. Therefore, the daily steps by the two sides will make possible the transformation of societies. But this will be difficult to begin if Turkey cannot first admit to the most basic truth, the President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, professor at Manitoba University (Canada) Andrew Woolford said this during an interview with “Armenpress”.  

-More than a century later after Armenian Genocide the Turkish state continue to refuse the historic truth. How would You comment this official position of Turkish Republic?

-In 1997, the International Association of Genocide Scholars passed a resolution to reaffirm that the mass murder of over a million Armenians by Turkey in 1915 is a case of genocide. This resolution was reinforced in 2005 by a resolution decrying Turkish state denial of the genocide, pointing to the unanimity among genocide scholars on this case, as well as to the fact that it clearly meets the criteria of the United Nations “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide” and was a key case influencing Raphael Lemkin in developing the genocide concept.

-How would you evaluate the position of international community on this issue? 

-IAGS has called upon nations of the world, in particular the United States, to recognize the Armenian Genocide. To date, twenty-six countries, as well as forty-three states of the United States, have fully or partially recognized these events as genocide. For such a significant world-historic tragedy, this remains a disappointingly small number.

-Don't You think that the international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide will be a significant step for the prevention of genocides in future?

-There is some debate among our scholars about the efficacy of naming instances of genocide, but IAGS moves forward on the understanding that recognition of and education about genocide contributes to its prevention. No matter what definition of genocide one subscribes to, the Armenian Genocide is a very important example because it illustrates so many of the techniques of group destruction Lemkin first identified when he coined the term. Therefore, acknowledging and understanding the Armenian Genocide is an important step to recognizing genocide as it unfolds. International recognition of the Armenian Genocide helps foster understanding and awareness of ongoing genocidal processes and gives us hope we can mobilize individuals to demand action to prevent future genocide.

-Today Turkey arms the terrorist groups that are committing crimes against humanity in Middle East. Don’t you think that this kind of activities of Turkey comes from the impunity for committing the first Genocide of 20th century?

-I cannot comment on this question from an IAGS perspective, since we do not have a resolution that directly addresses this issue.

-How do you see the reconciliation between the people of Armenia and Turkey?

-IAGS has produced its resolutions based on the fact that reconciliation is difficult, if not impossible, without honest historical acknowledgment. In my own country, Canada, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission has just completed its work on the genocide against indigenous peoples, including the efforts to forcibly assimilate indigenous children through residential schools. In releasing their report, the Commission noted that reconciliation is a long process. It begins today with the truth. After the truth is made known, it is up to all of us-governments, of course, but other institutions, and individuals, as well -to build relationships and conduct everyday acts of reconciliation that will make possible the transformation of our society. The people of Armenia and Turkey will lead this if it is to happen. But this will be difficult to begin if Turkey cannot first admit to the most basic truth.

Interview by Araks Kasyan