Announcement of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia
Western Armenia’s strategy on the Genocide of the Armenians recognition, condemnation and compensation issues is built on the exact answers on the following questions:
– The Genocide of the Armenians was condemned in 1896, 1909, 1915, 1919. How the Genocide of the Armenians recognition and condemnation issues arose again?
– When the Genocide of the Armenians was carried out, which years, by whom and what is the chronology of the Genocide of the Armenians, 1915-1923 or 1894-1923.
– What is the damage to Armenians and Armenia caused by the genocide, whether that damage was assessed, are there any calculations, in other words, is there a complete package for the calculation of compensation for damage.
- The Genocide of the Armenians was carried out in 1894-1923, during three successive Turkish governments: Sultans, Young Turks and Kemalist.
The Genocide of the Armenians was condemned in 1896, 1909, 1915, 1919 years:
1894-96 period: Sultan Abdul Hamid II organized the massacres and killed nearly 300 thousands of Armenians, 200 thousands were forced to religious conversion, 100 thousand Armenians were deported. The massacre of Armenians was carried out by the Turkish regular army, “the Turk” regiments, police and the Muslim mob.
Turkish policy of forced religious conversion during Hamid massacres of Armenians became the basis for starting the policy of islamization and continuation a more brutal manner.
1894-96 period: Hamid massacres and killings had been condemned by the leading figures of that time Jean Jaurиs, Victor Berare, Anatole France, Johannes Lepsius, Lynch and others.
1909 year: Adana massacres handwriting was the same, as the Turkish government organized, carried out by a nationalist mob, and the Turkish army took part in. Nearly 30 thousand people were killed during Adana massacres. The Young Turks organized a trial related to the fact of genocide, but it was a mere formality. Moreover, through the artificially administered fire they tried to destroy the documents, related to that trial, but even though many items were saved and preserved to these days.
1915 year: On May 24th, the governments of England, France and Russia came up with special joint declaration, where three large countries publicly characterize the Turkish actions against Armenians as crimes against “humanity and civilization” for which “personal responsibility is laid on every member of the Turkish government who participated in the carnages”.
The text particularly says: For about a month the Kurd and Turkish populations of Armenia has been massacring Armenians with the connivance and often assistance of Ottoman authorities. Such massacres took place in middle April (new style) at Erzerum, Dertchun, Eguine, Akn, Bitlis, Mush, Sassun, Zeitun, and throughout Cilicia. Inhabitants of about one hundred villages near Van were all murdered. In that city Armenian quarter is besieged by Kurds. At the same time in Constantinople Ottoman Government ill-treats inoffensive Armenian population. In view of those new crimes of Turkey against humanity and civilization, the Allied governments announce publicly to the Sublime-Porte that they will hold personally responsible [for] these crimes all members of the Ottoman government and those of their agents who are implicated in such massacres”.
1919 year: Constantinople’s military court the trial of Ottoman Turkey ruling elite took place with the following accusations of Young Turk leaders for: a) Involvement of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, b) Organization and implementation of Armenian’s of the Ottoman Empire comprehensive homicide and deportations. The court sentenced in absentia to death many of the Young Turk leaders, including Talaat, Enver, Jemal and Nazim, Kemal Bey, Cemal Azmin and Naim Bey, Behaeddin Shakir, which in future was implemented by Nemesis Armenian avengers.
In 1919 the assessment of the damage to Western Armenia was carried out.
In 1920 The Treaty of Sиvres was signed, which 88-93 refers to The State of Armenia and on November 22, 1920 28th U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s Department of State released an Arbitral Award related to Turkish and Armenian borders.
These facts indicate that using the provisions of the Sevres Treaty and Wilson’s Arbitral Award the compensation for damage of the genocide of Armenians and Armenia, as well as the caused material damage compensation had been decided, signed, ratified, however, had never been realized.
Moreover, after 1923 everything was deliberately forgotten.
2. The Genocide of the Armenians condemnation time
As already mentioned, the international community after The Lausanne Conference, in the period of 1923-1965, skillfully skirted the issue of the Genocide of the Armenians and fall into oblivion.
It was possible to demolish the wall of oblivion in 1965 by the movement, claiming demonstrations, devoted to the 50th anniversary of the Genocide and, especially, in 1973-1975 by the national liberation struggle developed overseas, with great effort and sacrifice of Gurgen Yanikian, Gevorg Achemyan, Simon Simonyan, Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, the Genocide of the Armenians Justice Commandos and other organizations and individuals.
1965-1985 years were the years of the Genocide of the Armenians recognition. It was the time when in parallel with the development of the liberation struggle of Armenians, the world media was literally flooded by voluminous reports, interviews, articles, books, TV and movies about the Genocide of the Armenians and Armenia.
1985 and 1987 were the years of Gorbachev perestroika and adoption by the European Parliament the resolution for “a political solution to the Armenian question”, which were immediately followed by the Armenians massacres in Sumgait, Baku, Ganja and other regions, deportation and the aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia by the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The new era of national liberation struggle’s second phase started during the war in Artsakh in 1988-1994, after the victory of which would really come the time for the condemnation and compensation of the Genocide of the Armenians, especially since, as a nation, we could resist the attempt for a new genocide of the Armenians.
Although precious time has been lost, but all is not lost.
You just have to accept that the Genocide of the Armenians recognition forced process is completed and you have to make the transition to international condemnation and compensation process of the Genocide of the Armenians.
3. The issue of the Genocide of the Armenians chronology: 1915-1923 or 1894-1923?
On this issue, from the legal position perspective, it is important to know at what time and by whom the Genocide of the Armenians was carried out. In that sense, the 1915-1923 period formulation can be rejected. The 1894-1923 period formulation and chronology is true and historically grounded, because three or more successive Turkish governments, the Ottoman, Young Turk, Kemal, carried out similar acts of extermination towards Armenians. To compare we can look at the National Council of Western Armenia’s request dated on April 24, 2011 to the Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
It is for sure worth mentioning Hamidian massacres during the 1894-96 period, organized by Sultan Abdul Hamid 2nd, the Young Turks’ massacre of Armenians in Adana in 1909, which are also episodes of the Genocide of the Armenians. We have no any legal, political, or moral right to ignore and fall into oblivion them, especially since they are very important steps and have a meaningful role in the whole chain for the future of Armenians’ claim.
4. A complete set of compensation for damage caused by the Genocide of the Armenians:
In order to make the idea of a complete set of compensation for damage caused by the Genocide of the Armenians, it is important to just remember all the crimes perpetrated by three successive Turkish governments (Sultans, Young Turks, Kemals) against humanity and Armenians.
Simply let us list them:
– National superiority and arrogance, racism, formation of Pan-Turkism, its dissemination and advocacy in Turkish environment.
– Development, dissemination and propaganda of the plans and ideas to exile Armenians and carry out the genocide of Armenians.
– During 1894-23 period in the Armenian Highland, on the Ottoman Empire’s territory, the planning, advocacy, preparation, proviking and carrying out the genocide of Armenians, embezzlement and plunder of their property. Destruction of more than two millions of Armenians, over half a million deportations from their cradle of homeland.
– In 1915 and in subsequent years implementation of the massacres and genocide, theft and misappropriation of their property together with Armenians also Assyrians, Greeks, Arabs (later since the mid of 1920s Kurds as well).
– In 1918 aggression towards the Armenians of Western Armenia, forcing the newly imposed Republic of Armenia to sign illegal contract.
– In 1918 carrying out the genocide of Armenians in Baku
– In 1920 the aggression against the Republic of Armenia, later with forcing to sign illegal and illegitimate treaties (1920, in Alexandropol and 1921 in Moscow) to the party subjected to aggression.
– In 1937 carrying out the genocide and killings of Armenians in Dersim.
– 1894-1923, 1923-2014 period: destroying Armenian civilizational values, including the historical and architectural monuments and churches.
– Falsification of history, culture and civilization values of Armenians and other nations in the region.
– Denial of the historical fact and reality of the Genocide of the Armenians, with unrealistic expectations to gain the time and postpone the suggestion to create of a commission of historians.
– 97-year occupation of the territory allotted by Wilson’s Arbitral Award, dated November 22, 1920
– Illegal blockade of Armenia since 1993.
This is not a complete list of all the crimes perpetrated by the Turkish successor governments against humanity and Armenians. The crimes committed by Azerbaijan is the copied version of the program, planned by Turkey. However, we’ll talk about them in other occasion, in another place.
To add to all this, till now the amount of damage to Eastern Armenia was not compensated, as well as the damage caused in 1923 and following years to the Armenian people and Armenia. But the crimes listed here, are direct evidence of the harm that can and should be calculated, thus to prepare the complete compensation package for the actual amount of damage caused to Armenians and Armenia.
As the final word, one important note as well. We can state that the Genocide of Armenians continues till now and will continue until the crime conviction and the full compensation for harm caused. And as long as the Armenians are not able to regain the power to live, develop and progress under the legal, political, national, state firm and unshakeable basis.
Armen Ter-Sarkisyan
President of National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia
