(Shortened version)
To the United Nations Secretary-General
Mr. Antonio Guterres
STATEMENT
About demilitarization of Western Armenia and Cilicia and the withdrawal of the occupying troops of the Republic of Turkey from these territories
Taking into consideration that
– On October 30, 1918 between the representatives of Entente and Turkey the Mudros truce was signed in Mudros Harbour ( Lemnos island) where:
Article 16 says: «The surrender of all garrisons in the Hejaz, Assyria, Yemen, Syria, and Mesopotamia to the Allied Command… The withdrawal of troops from Cilicia except those necessary to maintain order».
Article 24 says: «In case of disorder in one of the six Armenian vilayets (provinces) the Allies retain the right to occupy any part of».
Taking into consideration that
– According to the Arbitration Award adopted by Woodrow Wilson the United States’ 28th President and demilitarization of Turkish territories adjacent to the Armenian border, the armed forces of the Republic of Turkey were to be withdrawn from the four vilayets of Western Armenia after November 22, 1920.
– The issue of territories, defined by the Arbitration Award of Woodrow Wilson the United States’ 28th President, in the 89th article of the Sevres Peace Treaty was defined as follows: «Turkey and Armenia, as well as other High Contracting Parties, agree to submit to the arbitration decision of the President of the United States of America the border demarcation between Turkey and Armenia in Erzurum, Trabzon, Van and Bitlis vilayets and accept his decision as well as any measures he may prescribe regarding Armenia’s access to the sea and the demilitarization of any Turkish territory adjacent to the mentioned border».
– According to the Resolution «On Permanent, Armed and Positive Neutrality of Armenians of Western Armenia and Western Armenia itself» adopted on March 29, 2011, the Turkish armed forces have no right to be at least in these territories granted to Armenia by Woodrow Wilson’s Arbitration Award.
Taking into account the background of the question when
Despite the fact that the Armenian Question since its initiation in 1878 hasn’t found a fair solution yet, however as a result of the same process a significant political and legal package of the just solution of the Armenian Question and the peaceful, civilized, efficient and final settlement of Armenian-Turkish relations was established.
Taking into account that
Regardless of the arguments and justifications put forward by the Turkish side for the conduct of the armed forces of the Republic of Turkey in the North of the sovereign Syrian Arab Republic, the earlier military operation “Euphrates Shield”, and now the operation “Olive branch”, presented by the Turkish side as “the fight against terrorist organizations and groups”, or under the equally false pretext of “creating a security belt”, under the same far-fetched pretext of invading the territory of Iraq, as well as the occupation of the Northern part of the Republic of Cyprus and the disintegration of the country into two parts – the Republic of Cyprus and the establishment of the illegal state of Northern Cyprus one thing is obvious: a strong-willed political decision was made, namely, an invasion of the territory of a sovereign state. There can be done one conclusion only: the Turkish armed forces didn’t have and don’t have any right to be there and they should immediately be withdrawn from the territory of Syria.
Therefore, the time has come
to draw the whole civilized world’s attention to absolutely illegal and unlawful steps of the Republic of Turkey, as a result of which the Turkish armed forces:
- a) have occupied the territory Western Armenia and Cilicia for almost 98 years,
- b) and from these occupied territories they create new and incomparably more dangerous threats of aggression against the peoples and states of the Greater Middle East and Europe.
Also taking into account that
– Instead of recognising the rights of Armenians to their historical homeland, in 1894-1923 the three successive Turkish governments: the Sultan, the Young Turk and the Kemal committed a terrible crime – the genocide of the Armenian people, their deportation from their historical homeland and the occupation of Western Armenia, which in turn led to tragic demographic changes resulted in an unprecedented reduction of the Armenian population in the region, and as «additional dividends» for their crimes they managed to change the natural balance between the peoples of Western Armenia;
– It has already passed 98 years since the territory of Western Armenia remains occupied by Turkey;
– The genocide of the Armenian people was first condemned by the governments of Great Britain, France and Russia, who in their joint statement of May 24, 1915, qualified the actions of the Turkish government against Armenians as “crimes against humanity and civilization”, and warned “about the criminal responsibility of its organizers and perpetrators” ;
– Later many progressive world countries recognized and condemned this monstrous crime of the Republic of Turkey. And this process of recognition and condemnation continues up to this day. It is noteworthy that even the Turkish state represented by the special military Tribunal of Constantinople in 1919-1920 condemned the leaders of the Young Turk government for these crimes – having sentenced many of them to capital punishment – to death;
– In accordance with the Declaration on the Formation of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia of May 25, 2013, the jurisdiction of the national Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia extends both to the citizens of the Republic of Western Armenia and to the territories of Western Armenia occupied by Turkey, which are regions of Western Armenia de jure and de facto.
According to the following legal documents
- The Decree of the Government of Russia (SPC of Russia – «The Soviet of People’s Commissars») «About Turkish Armenia» («About Western Armenia») of January 11, 1918;
- The decision of the Supreme Council of the Allied Nations during the Paris Conference on de facto recognition of the independence of the State of Armenia of January 19, 1920,
- The decision of the Supreme Council of the Allied Nations on de jure recognition of the independence of the State of Armenia of May 11, 1920;
- Declaration of Independence of the Armenian Cilicia of August 4, 1920;
- Sevres Peace Treaty (articles 88 – 93 which concerned the Armenian state) of August 10, 1920,
- The Arbitral Award of 28th President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson of November 22, 1920 the full name of which is «The decision of the President of the United States Woodrow Wilson on the establishment of the state border between Turkey and Armenia, the maritime access of Armenia’s borders and the demilitarization of the Turkish territories adjacent the Armenian border».
Taking into account
- The United Nations Charter of June, 1945;
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of December 10, 1948;
- The European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Rome, of November 4, 1950;
- The UN Convention on the Rights and Duties of States («Montevideo Convention») of December 26, 1933;
- The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of December 9, 1948;
- The UN Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity of November 26, 1968;
- The UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples of December 14, 1960;
- The UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of November 20, 1963;
- The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of May 23, 1969;
- The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of September 13, 2007;
- The UN Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace of November 12, 1984;
- The UN Declaration on the Right to Development of December 4, 1986;
- The UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities of December 18, 1992;
- The UN Declaration on the Rule of Law at the National and International Level of September 24, 2012.
Based on
– The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of September 13, 2007, and on which the institution of the national identity and citizenship of Armenians of Western Armenia was formed;
– The Declaration of the National Council of Armenians of Western Armenia «On the right of self-determination of Armenians of Western Armenia», Shushi of December 17, 2004;
– The Declaration of the National Council of Western Armenia «On the beginning of Government formation of Western Armenia in Exile» of February 04, 2011;
– The Declaration of the National Council of Armenians of Western Armenia and the Government of Western Armenia in exile «On the formation of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia» of May 24, 2013;
– The decision of the Central Election Commission on the formation of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia of the 1st convocation of December 16, 2013 and the Decision of the CEC of September, 14, 2018 on the election of deputies of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia of the 2nd convocation;
– The Law of the Republic of Western Armenia «On the State structure of Western Armenia, status of deputies of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia and the rule of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia» of January 21, 2014;
– Presidential Decree on the Republic of Western Armenia (State of Armenia) No. 12 «The Republic of Western Armenia as a Continuity State», – on the Republic of Western Armenia as a continuity state of the Armenian State recognized in 1920, of February 23, 2014;
– Presidential Decree of the Republic of Western Armenia «On drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of Western Armenia» of May 9, 2016;
– The decision of the National Council of Armenians of Western Armenia «On the permanent, armed and positive neutrality of the Armenians of Western Armenia and Western Armenia itself» of March 29, 2011;
– Decree of the National Council of Armenians of Western Armenia «On creation of self-defenсe forces of Armenians of Western Armenia» of December 26, 2012;
– The Decision of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia «On the Formation of the Defence Forces of Armenians of Western Armenia» of January 10, 2018.
Taking into account that
- Armed conflicts do not cease in the Middle East;
- The implementation of all the provisions of the Treaty of Sevres can be a decisive step in establishing genuine peace and cooperation in the Middle East;
- The Sevres Peace Treaty approved the borders of the states of the Middle East including the borders of the state of Armenia on which the Arbitral Award of 28th President of the USA Woodrow Wilson was made on November 22, 1920, but which has not been implemented yet;
- In order to solve the Armenian Question, the main decisions have already been made long ago, but have not been implemented yet. It should be emphasized that the time of their execution is already overdue. And nowadays the reality is that not a single state, not a single nation in the Middle East will stay away from the threats of the present and future unless each of them chooses a political and legal way to solve peacefully existing problems and conflicts ;
- All non-legal, that is strong-willed political decisions will keep the conflicting parties, their countries and generations as hostages, and every fifty years conflicts and confrontations, wars and chaos will flare up with new strength in the Balkans, the Middle East, the Caucasus and Afghanistan.
Taking into account that
- Armenians of Western Armenia like any nation in the world have the right to live, develop and have their future which means that they have the right to demand the establishment of their own state in their ancestral homeland – in Western Armenia;
- The Armenians of Western Armenia and the state structures of the Republic of Western Armenia (the State of Armenia) declare that they take up the defence of the rights granted to the Armenian people by the Sevres Peace Treaty and the Arbitral Award of 28th President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson and to implement these rights to life acting as a continuity of the State of Armenia recognized de facto and de jure in 1920.
Taking into account that
-Application for membership of the Republic of Western Armenia (the State of Armenia) in the United Nations, of May 25, 2018.
– Application to the United Nations of the Republic of Western Armenia (Armenia) « On the implementation of the Arbitration Decision of the 28th President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson of November 22, 1920, «The decision of the President of the United States Woodrow Wilson on the establishment of the state border between Turkey and Armenia, the maritime access of Armenia’s borders and the demilitarization of the Turkish territories adjacent the Armenian border», with the aim of establishing the Republic of Western Armenia (the State of Armenia) within the territories established by the Arbitral Award of 28 US President Woodrow Wilson of May 29, 2018;
We appeal to you with an offer
To start a legal and political process on the demilitarization of Western Armenia and Cilicia and the withdrawal of the occupying troops of the Republic of Turkey from these territories,
Based on the Arbitration Award of the 28th President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson of November 22, 1920 «The decision of the President of the United States Woodrow Wilson on the establishment of the state border between Turkey and Armenia, the maritime access of Armenia’s borders and the demilitarization of the Turkish territories adjacent the Armenian border»,
as well as taking into account the Decision of the National Council of Armenians of Western Armenia «On the permanent, armed and positive neutrality of Armenians of Western Armenia and Western Armenia itself» of March 29, 2011.
The decision on this statement,
About demilitarization of Western Armenia and Cilicia and the withdrawal of the occupying troops of the Republic of Turkey from these territories,
was adopted by the Government and the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia on September 28, 2018 at the 1-th session of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia of the 2-th convocation.
President of the Republic of Western Armenia
Radik Khamoyan
Prime Minister of the Republic of Western Armenia
Tigran Pashabezyan
President of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia
Armen Ter-Sarkisyan
November 20, 2018
