By Edmond Y. Azadian
There is no statute of limitation on the crime of genocide, nor is there one on territorial disputes between nations. In both cases, Armenia and Armenians remain as plaintiffs, waiting for their day in court.
Spain waited exactly 500 years to apologize for the expulsion of the Jews in 1492. Indeed, King Juan Carlos of Spain finally admitted his country’s guilt in the harsh treatment of the Jews and apologized publicly in 1992.
Before him, Chancellor Willy Brandt went to Israel, knelt down at Yad Vashem Sanctuary and, after almost half a century, apologized on behalf of his government and people for the Holocaust.
Armenians have been waiting for almost a century for a day of reckoning. But the Turks had done such a thorough job through the Genocide, that Armenians have not been able to recover and lay a claim against Turkey. On the contrary, the criminals have become the guardians of the international law claiming territorial concessions from Armenia. Indeed, Turkey, as the rotating chairman of the UN Security Council, has been threatening Armenia with placing the Karabagh issue on the Security Council’s agenda. Through Turkey’s help and leadership and the cooperation of some Islamic countries, Azerbaijan was able to pass a non-binding resolution at the UN General Assembly, which “reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity” and demanded the “immediate withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all occupied territories there.”
Although the resolution has no teeth and cannot be enforced, it acts as a valid propaganda tool for the Azeris and the Turks to claim that international law is on their side. It also demonstrates how isolated Armenia becomes when the chips are down.
The Turks and Azeris have been demanding the return of all captured territories during the Karabagh War, against some vague and reversible promises.
During the bloody rule of the Kenan Evren in Turkey, when answering a question about Armenian territorial aspirations, the dictator stated that territories are not given; they can only be taken by blood. That is where we are now. We have taken those territories by blood and no Karabaghtzi will be willing to compromise on that issue.
Although there is no practical value, it is time to turn the tables and ask Turkey when is it ready to return Armenian historic territory to its lawful owner.
In the light of these claims and counter claims, the wisest course for Armenia is to keep the Turks guessing whether Yerevan will ever debate, dispute or quit claims on the territories lost by the Treaty of Kars.
Recently, an interesting sideshow was evolving in South America during the summit in Bariloche, Argentina (UNASAR). The presidents of Bolivia and Chile, Evo Morales and Michelle Bachelet, met on the sidelines of the summit to discuss or settle a territorial dispute, which is 125 years old. Bolivia still claims its access corridor to the Pacific lost to Chile during the Pacific War (1879-1884).
For those who think that historic Armenia has been lost to Turks almost a century ago for good, need to take heart, that nations will never give up hope of restoring their historic rights, even after a relapse of 125 years.
Although time-wise some similarity exists between Armenian claims and Bolivian claims, the similarities end because Chile has captured that territory in a war between equals and has not committed a Genocide like the Turks to compound its guilt.
Today, both countries have attained democratic rule and they can discuss past grievances freely, especially when they need each other. Thus, Bolivia sits on the second largest gas reserves in South America and Chile needs to have access to those energy sources.
That is why an accommodation has been reached between the two countries, which is not yet a final solution. Peru, over whose territory the Bolivian corridor is supposed to stretch, has become a spoiler in the deal. As Bolivia reactivates its claim over the Atacama Corridor, Peru contends that a 1929 treaty establishes Peruvian participation in any settlement between the parties.
This arrangement is somewhat similar to the Kars Treaty, which recognizes Turkey as guarantor to Nakhichevan, stipulating that Baku cannot cede Nakhichevan to any third party, i.e. Armenia, without Ankara’s consent.
In this case Chile has been offering unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian gas and other commodities; an accord which has placed long disputed Isla Suarez/Ilha de Guajara-Mirim, a fluvial island on Rio Mamore, under Bolivian administration since 1958, but sovereignty remains in dispute.
Unfortunately in Armenia’s case, its territorial claim is not backed by natural resources, which the other parties, or the world for that matter, would need.
Justice is on our side. It remains to muster international clout and support to make good on our rights.
As the above cases testify, our claims never expire, even when sometimes our resilience does.
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WAO Moscow Convention
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 Remarks at Kremlin
A TIME FOR UNITY
by Edmond Y. Azadian
On October 6 and 7 the World Armenian Organization held its founding convention in Moscow. The ADL was among the few Diaspora organizations, which sent a delegation to the convention, comprised of Edmond Azadian, Vice Chairman, and members Hagop Vartivarian and Panik Keshishian. Also accompanying the delegation was Papken Megerian, Chairman of ADL Eastern District, and Varoujan Sirapian, Chairman of ADL France. |
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| Edmond Y. Azadian |
On behalf of the ADL, Edmond Azadian was asked to be one of the speakers at the opening session of the convention, which was held in the Convention Hall of the Kremlin in Moscow. Attending the opening session were President Putin of Russia and President Kocharian of Armenia. Also present was Foreign Minister Ivanov of Russia and the popular Mayor of Moscow, Louchkov. Edmond Azadian greeted the two presidents, as well as Ara Aprahamian, who had taken the initiative to organize the convention and who eventually became the president of the World Armenian Organization. The following is the text of Azadian’s speech, at the conclusion of which, he shook hands with them. |
| “Today Armenians all around the world face a new horizon. The founding convention of the World Armenian Organization heralds a new era in modern Armenian history.
The times have been changing rapidly; new conditions develop, new horizons of thinking dawn every day, and new frontiers of science and space are conquered on a daily basis; and as a result, our globe is reduced to the size of a global village. Therefore, all active groups and alert nations react correspondingly to the developing changes and they take appropriate measures to survive in this new world order.
During the Cold War era it would have been unthinkable to hold a World Armenian Congress and to begin a new organization, which would attempt to bring all Armenians around the world under one umbrella. It would also have been interpreted in a completely different manner had that convention taken place in Moscow. But fortunately today the divisions of the past have become history; nations have come together to use the resources of the ever-shrinking globe in a more prudent manner.
As far as Armenia is concerned, unfortunately the Cold War continues in that region, blockades and threats of new conflicts are directed towards Armenia, which always observes a very cautious policy towards the impending threats. Today the entire world, and especially former adversaries, understand that Armenia has a very special historic relation with Russia, determining the fate and continuity of our homeland. During the past centuries leaders like Nerses Ashtaragetzi, Israel Ori, Lazarian family, Nalbandian, and Abovian have always directed their eyes towards the friend in the north in the hope of preserving the tiny Armenian homeland, and they have never been disappointed. In modern times leaders like Ara Aprahamian symbolize that orientation and policy, and we hope again that the favorable precedents of history will be repeated also in our own days. The 20th Century witnessed many bloody conflicts, and Armenians inherited the goriest genocide at the beginning of the century. Our people have not been yet emancipated from the psychological and practical fetters of that trauma. The Armenian genocide still has not been appropriately recognized, nor has retribution been made to the survivors, while our historic lands still are occupied under the arm of the perpetrators. Additionally, the cultural genocide continues even today from Nakhichevan to Ani and Van without any interruption. The 21st Century brings new thoughts and new vision and new projects to the Armenian people, so that, as a nation, we can release ourselves from the burdens of history and keep pace with the march of the modern nations.
Along with the legacy of the genocide, Armenians have inherited the tradition of disunity, which was forced upon them over the centuries by the occupying powers.
This convention is a bold move to bridge those divisions to bring the different groups together, and once again to give the inspiration of a whole nation to disparate factions of our people. During their long and arduous history, Armenians have always given potentates, generals, and also intellectual leaders to the Byzantine, Persian, Ottoman, Tzarist, and Soviet empires, but they have always felt meek in their own homeland. Unfortunately, Armenians have refused to be led by other Armenians.
Today is a historic stage where Armenians should lead Armenians, Armenians should complement each other, and they should come together to pursue projects of paramount significance. We have already begun to take our revenge from the destiny forced on our people, first with the independence of our homeland, and then with the victories, which we have recorded in Karabagh, and also with the achievements that are in store for us, as we come together and strive to achieve common goals in the near future.
It may happen that all the pa rticipants of this historic convention have brought very little to the convention, except their concerns and willing Armenian souls, but the most important issue is what we will be taking away from this convention, so that we can build bridges uniting Armenians on different continents and different countries, and we can look to the source of our inspiration, which is our newly independent Republic of Armenia. At this time we cannot sit on our hands and watch opportunities pass by. It is time to come down off the fences and give a helping hand to the magnificent initiative, which takes shape today. Let us come together and contribute to the new movement with the brilliant hope of tomorrow; and let us always remember that a ten thousand mile march begins with the first step.
Thank you.” |
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From WAO Convention
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wiesenthal center.pdf
File size : 26 Ko – Last update 02/03/2003
Since the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance opened its doors in
1993, its founders have aimed to commemorate the Holocaust and to explore
prejudice and persecution worldwide — a daunting dual mission that has won
admirers from Jordan’s King Hussein to Hollywood’s Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But as the institution’s 10th anniversary approaches, a widening circle of
critics has gathered to press museum officials with a single question: Where
are the Armenians?
download the article for more |
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© 2004 ARMENIAN DEMOCRATIC LIBERAL Party – Ramgavar Azadagan – All rights reserved
Legal information |
Edmond Y. Azadian
Ditumner Ew Datumner
by Edmond Y. Azadian,
Vache Semerchean
Book – January 2006
History on the Move: Views, Interviews and Essays on Armenian Issues
by Edmond Y. Azadian, Agop J. Hacikyan (Editor), Edward S. Franchuk (Editor)
Hardcover – February 2000
List price: $29.95
Portraits and Profiles
by Agop J. Hacikyan, Edmond Y. Azadian, Edward S. Franchuk (Editor)
Hardcover – March 1995
List price: $99.95
A Historical Survey of the Armenian Case
by Edmond Y. Azadian, Kersam Aharonian
Book – January 1989
Armenia — Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian at a news conference on March 2, 2010.
“Taraf” broke the Balyoz conspiracy theory on Jan. 22, 2010.
Gen. Ibrahim Firtina, a former head of the air force, was questioned in court about a plot to overthrow the government.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Abdullah Gul and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ met on February 25.
