PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:
23 April 2009
Statement of Heritage’s Executive Board
On 24 April 2009, the progressive people of the world will join the Armenian
nation in paying their respects, for the 94th time, to the memory of the
innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide and the resultant great
dispossession of Armenian homeland, which the Turkish state had carried out
at the turn of the 20th Century. The immediate recognition of this first
crime of the past century, perpetrated against mankind and civilization, and
the elimination of its consequences stand as the most important factors for
never again permitting-anywhere and anytime-the recurrence of such a
genocidal action.
Against the backdrop of awaiting this prospect, the Heritage Party is truly
concerned over the signing on April 22-just two days before the remembrance
day of the Genocide and on the threshold of its continuing international
recognition-of the joint declaration by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Turkey and the Swiss Federal
Department of Foreign Affairs.
Heritage finds that the "tangible progress and mutual understanding" which,
according to the joint statement, were reached among the sides, in fact,
have not been reached. This is because on the road to resolving such
intricate and painful matters, we solely acknowledge the societies of the
two countries and the Genocide victims’ legal heirs, who now are scattered
in every corner of the world, as the real "sides". The Armenian authorities
had neither the public empowerment nor vote of confidence to sign under such
a declaration and, in essence, by taking advantage of the precept of
secrecy, they have jeopardized the Armenian national interests.
The understanding held by the "two sides"-which are holding talks that are
undisclosed for the general public of both countries-with respect to the
"progress" in Armenian-Turkish relations surely do not reflect the
understanding held at least by the Armenian body politic. Heritage continues
to maintain that, at this crucial juncture with Turkey, a joint statement
with such "mutual understanding" should have been signed only if, as
confidence-building measures, Turkey had:
? repented, just like numerous progressive Turkish
citizens, for the bloody pages in its history;
? nobly assumed responsibility for the Armenian Genocide
and eliminated the consequences of the attendant dispossession of Armenian
heartland;
? ended its policy of denial and force;
? established diplomatic relations with Armenia without
any preconditions;
? lifted its border blockade imposed on Armenia; and
? adopted a comprehensive agenda which included all
divisive issues of the past and present.
The absence of the aforesaid measures by Turkey, and, moreover, under the
conditions when the Turkish prime minister Erdogan has threatened to call
Armenia an "occupier," such a position by Armenia can cause irreversible
losses for the country in terms of the protection of national interests. And
the entire responsibility for this situation will fall on the former
presidency, its extension in the form of the incumbent administration, and
the latter’s political coalition forces.
The Heritage Party demands that the current authorities lift the secrecy
without delay and disclose to the people of both countries the contents of
the "road map" and the "comprehensive framework for the normalization of
their bilateral relations."
23 April 2009
Yerevan
Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the country. Its
central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002, Armenia,
with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10) 532.697, email
at [email protected] or [email protected], and website at