Obama’s April 24 address will not change anything
In fact, Ankara is reluctant to deal with a country whose people were
brutally slaughtered 95 years ago.
In world politics a situation can develop in two possible ways: either
badly or too badly. Moreover, these variants can be applied both to
the strong side and to the weak side, given the fact that yesterday’s
weakness is today’s power and vice versa. In terms of the `Armenian
question’ this can be interpreted in the following way: if Barack
Obama dares to utter the word `genocide’ it will be bad for the
Armenians, and if he doesn’t – it will be too bad.
April 16, 2010
PanARMENIAN.Net –
If not to take into account many factors pro et contra, then by
universal criteria the U.S. must say what is long known to everyone.
The most interesting thing is that this term will change nothing in
the world, and even in Turkey itself – but America, or rather the
previous administration, allowed Ankara to do whatever she likes, such
as to dictate rules of treating the Armenians. The trouble is that
Obama now has to clear up the mess made by the Bush policy in the
Middle East and Asia. And he goes from one extreme to another: he
refuses to support Israel and wants to `make friends’ with Muslim
countries. By the way, no conflict unleashed by the Bush
administration has yet been settled. In short, heavy is the legacy of
Obama, not to mention the crisis. And at this difficult time,
Armenians are demanding that the U.S. President call the events of
1915 a `genocide’…
As for Ankara, she believes that she makes accurate steps, although in
fact it is not so. The truth is that despite all the declarations of
the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister of Turkey about the desire
to `normalize relations and live next to the rich and prosperous
Armenia’ they remain mere words. In fact, Ankara is reluctant to deal
with a country whose people were brutally slaughtered 95 years ago.
When last year on April 23 the Armenian people were acquainted with
the text of the Armenian-Turkish agreement that took shape in the
Protocols of August 31, signed in Zurich on October 10, majority of
the nation took it as a mockery and insult, which, in essence, was
truly so. But now, almost a year later, we are thinking about what
`surprise’ we should be waiting for from the world powers that are
interested in restraint of Turkey and Azerbaijan and in full
reorientation of Armenia to the West. It is the `too bad’ that may
happen if Obama anyway utters the word `genocide’. However, there is
little hope that the U.S. president would risk to say what the
Armenian-American community expects from him, but who knows what
America may need in the region in a week? If the White House is to
decide that Turkey is a vital strategic ally and it is inappropriate
to quarrel with her now, then everything is clear. And if not –
Armenia will have to prepare for a war with Azerbaijan.
But there is still time to consider what the Armenian nation should be
demanding – recognition of something already well-known to the whole
world, or opening of the archives and claim for the tribunal. But who
should be taken to court? Perhaps the State of Turkey? No, because the
present Turkey is not responsible for the deeds of the Ottoman Empire,
let alone for the Young Turks. Incidentally, the latter have already
been tried in the military court in 1919 and sentenced to death `for
drawing Turkey in the World War II and destructing the Armenian
people.’
There is almost nothing in the Ottoman archives – most of the
documents were destroyed in 1918 and whatever was saved was sent to
the Library of Congress thanks to the personal merit of Ambassador
Henry Morgenthau. The same is true about the documents kept to a
European archives.
But the most unpleasant point which we have repeatedly been discussing
is that the tragedy of the nation has become the only trump card in
almost a century-old disagreement with the world.
Karine Ter-Sahakyan / PanARMENIAN News