Historian: Inferences on Armenian Genocide Must be Grounded Only on
Evidence And International Experts’ Views
YEREVAN, September 5. /ARKA/. On Wednesday, Hayk Demoyan, the director
of Armenian Genocide Museum, speaking in Novosti International Press
Centre about the proposal made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan in 2005 to set up an Armenian-Turkish commission for
considering mass violence against Armenians, said the historians
included in the commission should draw inferences only grounding on the
evidence and experts’ opinions.
`Armenia sees no problem with coexistence of Armenians and Turks, but
Turkey should display good will and stop denying the fact of Armenian
Genocide, which has been examined for decades and confirmed. Turkey
should not turn a blind eye to irrefutable evidence and start
discussing the matter from zero’, Demoyan said.
He said that the problem has been studied not only by Armenian and
Turkish specialists, but also by experts of other nations.
Many countries have peaces of evidence and testimonies of witnesses.
`If Turkey tries to start considering this issue from zero, we’ll say
we have no time for that’, Demoyan said.
He said that the problem has also juridical aspect.
The museum director said historians can’t confirm or deny the fact of
the genocide ` they are only empowered to present and discuss evidence.
`That20is why I think that specialists stuck to different views should
be included in the commission and Turkey who made this proposal should
display good will and involve in the process those people who undergo
harassment in Turkey for their views’, he said.
Demoyan also thinks that politicians, economists and culture activists
can be included in the commission in the process as well.
Besides, he thinks that international specialists on genocides can
contribute a great deal to the commission efforts.
`There are at least two respected organizations ` international
association of genocide specialists and the association of scientists
studying Holocaust. Their experts can be involved in the process as
well, since they can’t be accused of biasness’, he said. The first
genocide in the 20th century by the Ottoman Turkey, the Armenian
Genocide took lives of over half million Armenians during the First
World War. Turkey keeps on denying the fact of the Armenian Genocide
and reacts strongly on any critical approach from the West on the issue.
Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, the Lower House of Italy, the
majority of the United States, as well as the Greek Parliament, Cyprus,
Argentina, Belgium, Wales, the National Assembly of Switzerland, the
House of Commons of Canada and the Polish Seim have all recognized the
Armenian Genocide. `0–