The tone of the reactions of two leading
Armenia and Turkey announced late on Monday that they have agreed to begin internal political consultations on the two protocols — a protocol on the establishment of diplomatic relations and a protocol on the development of bilateral relations — which have been initiated through the course of efforts under Swiss-facilitated mediation.
Only a day after the announcement, on Tuesday, the Washington-based Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sent a memo to offices at both the US Senate and the House of Representatives, sharing with members of Congress the reservations members of the Armenian-American community have regarding the protocols.
“ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian alerted these offices to the undue pressure applied to Armenia to accept dangerous concessions and informed legislators on both sides of Capitol Hill about Turkey’s rapid backtracking from even the minor commitments it had undertaken in these agreements,” ANCA announced.
“Among [ANCA’s] primary concerns is that Armenia, blockaded by Turkey and under intense economic and diplomatic pressure, was forced into accepting terms that threaten her interests, rights, safety, and future — very notably in the form of a proposed “historical commission.’ This provision, a tactic long pursued by Ankara to cast doubt on the historical record of the Armenian Genocide, is intended to serve Turkey’s drive to roll back the growing tide of international recognition of this crime against humanity. There can be no enduring relationship between Armenia and Turkey that is not built upon the foundation of Turkey’s acceptance of a true and just resolution of this crime,” Hamparian said.
Hamparian was apparently referring to the protocol on the development of relations between Armenia and Turkey which says that the two countries have agreed to “implement a dialogue on the historical dimension with the aim to restore mutual confidence between the two nations, including an impartial scientific examination of historical records and archives to define existing problems and formulate recommendations.”
Another Washington-based diaspora organization, the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA), meanwhile, stated that the announcement by Armenia and Turkey is consistent with the US position that normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey proceed without preconditions.
“Armenian authorities have also made it clear that no preconditions means just that — no linkage to progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks and no conditions on affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, or debating whether a genocide occurred through a commission-style process,” AAA said in a statement released Wednesday.
“The Armenian Assembly supports normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey without preconditions. The United States has spoken clearly about the need for Turkey to lift its blockade and establish diplomatic relations with Armenia. Turkey’s lifting of its blockade against Armenia and opening the border is not only long overdue but obligated under international treaties. For this long-awaited effort to succeed, it is incumbent that the United States require Turkey to adhere to its commitments with respect to Armenia,” AAA said. Yet it also noted that it 're calls Turkey’s ample track record of unfulfilled promises.”
“Moreover, it is of particular concern that on the same day as the joint statement released by the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministries regarding the start of consultations to establish diplomatic relations that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto”lu sent mixed signals. Foreign Minister Davuto“lu not only indicated that the opening of the border would be “a long process,’ but also stated that Turkey would guard Azerbaijan’s interests,” AAA noted.
Armenian nationalists protest Turkey ties In Yerevan, meanwhile, around 1,000 Armenian nationalists protested on Wednesday against the historic thaw in relations with neighboring Turkey, underscoring the risks involved in the rapprochement.
Nationalists in Armenia say there can be no thaw unless Turkey recognizes the World War I killings and deportations as genocide. Ankara rejects the term, saying many people died on both sides of the conflict.
Police estimated some 1,000 supporters of the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary Federation, known as Dashnaktsutyun, protested outside the Foreign Ministry, holding the flags of Armenia and the breakaway mountain region of Nagorno-Karabakh. “This document puts into doubt the Armenian genocide, the question of compensation and the right to our historical homeland,” said Dashnaktsutyun official Gegham Manukyan.
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