HAYK DEMOYAN INVITES WHOLE STAFF OF TURKISH NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TO VISIT MUSEUM OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Apr 30, 2009
YEREVAN, APRIL 30, NOYAN TAPAN. Hayk Demoyan, the Director of
the Museum-Institute of Armenian Genocide, considers Turkish
Sabah daily’s publication on the Armenian-Turkish April 22 joint
statement, "road-map," a manifestation of dull agitation. As he
reported at the April 30 press conference, that publication’s goal
is to direct information flows and to create dividing lines in
Armenian society. H. Demoyan advised Armenian media to refrain from
multiplying Turkish misinformation deliberately put in circulation
or dull agitation.
According to the Turkish newspaper, one of "road-map’s" points
mentioned that "Armenia recognizes the Treaty of Kars signed between
Armenia, USSR, and Turkey." According to H. Demoyan, the treaty
signed in 1921 October, which is vulnerable and incomplete from
legal point of view, was first of all grossly violated by Turkey: by
the Treaty of Kars the latter recognized Nakhichevan as a territory
within Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction. Moreover, Turkey signed the treaty
recognizing Nakhichevan as part of Azerbaijan.
H. Demoyan considers that an agreement on Armenian-Turkish relations
should not mention the Treaty of Kars, but should mention the
necessity of forming different commissions for making clear
the borders. According to him, the issue of liquidation of some
consequences of Armenian Genocide, in particular, the issue of saving
Armenian cultural heritage from destruction and the issue of its
registration should be a subject of discussion in the agreement of
at least in the negotiations preceding it.
In connection with "road-map’s" point on establishment of a commission
of historians H. Demoyan expressed an opinion that no commission can
discuss the issue of Genocide. According to him, the idea of commission
of historians is a serious threat to Turkey’s national security,
as the discussion of Armenian Genocide can be a real "Pandora’s box"
for Turkey, where many historic episodes were slurred over, and if
that box full of secrets is opened, many and many undesirable details
will be revealed for Turkish audience.
Speaking about U.S. President Barack Obama’s April 24 address,
H. Demoyan said that he sees a serious danger in exploitation
of the term "genocide," as it creates a precedent for further
manipulations. It should be mentioned that B. Obama used the term "Mets
Yeghern" in his address breaking his preelection promise of naming the
events of 1915-1922 as "genocide." "We deal with term’s depreciation,
which is dangerous. One cannot imagine a crime graver than genocide,
therefore manipulations are very dangerous at a more global scale," he
said. At the same time H. Demoyan considers positive that talks over
the statement of the leader having rather much popularity themselves
will contribute to raising international awareness about the problem
of genocide.
According to the Director of Armenian Genocide Museum, a huge
increase of international recognition and awareness of Armenian
Genocide is observed in the past 20 years. "That unequivocally gives
us a possibility to feel secure and to launch any process with the
Turkish side," he said.
H. Demoyan considers "interesting" the statement made by Turkish
National Security Council two days ago. The historian agrees to at
least one thought: "Armenian Genocide’s history is part of Turkish
and Armenian peoples’ history." And as to the thought mentioned in the
statement that "unbiassed statements and studies deprived of certain
partiality should be made," H. Demoyan said: "I kindly invite the whole
staff of Turkish National Security Council to the Museum-Institute
of Armenian Genocide. We will help them with pleasure, will provide
any kind of materal for presenting it in an unbiassed way."