(MENAFN- Trend News Agency ) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 24
By Azer Ahmadbayli – Trend:
The traditional torchlight procession held every year on April 24 in Yerevan and dedicated to the anniversary of the 'Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915', with the mandatory burning of the Turkish flag, will not take place this year, Youth Union of Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun announced yesterday.
What is this – softening of ultra-nationalist position towards Turkey, or lack of time to arrange the event due to the celebration of the 'velvet revolution'?
Imagine there's a trial going on. Armenia is a potential plaintiff, while Turkey is a potential defendant. Subject matter of the trial is: Armenia asserts that an act of genocide was committed against Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 by the authorities of that state. That is, Armenia claims that the representatives of their people were deliberately killed on racial grounds.
Turkey denies the accusation, contending that during the deportation of Armenians from Eastern Anatolia to the south of the Ottoman Empire, due to their betrayal in the rear of Turkish troops during the WWI, there were numerous cases of cruelty and violence resulting in numerous deaths, but this can never be called genocide.
What are the sides' proposals?
The Armenian position is simple. They say that there are truths that cannot be debated because of their absolute certainty. Such an "undeniable truth", as Armenians claim, is the "genocide", and Turkey must unconditionally plead guilty.
Isn't it similar to the Red Queen's "sentence first - verdict afterwards" approach from Alice in Wonderland?
Almost 30 countries recognized the events of 1915 as genocide, and, as a rule, these are the countries where there is a strong Armenian Diaspora. However, this is just a political recognition.
Legally, under international law, the final judgment to qualify the 1915 events as genocide may be made by the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
For many years, Armenia has been able to initiate the process of recognition in the International Court, but it has never done that. Why?
Maybe, because it has still doubts that Turks had the goal to eradicate Armenians as a nation? Or, there are fears that the Court may not recognize a century-old tragic event as genocide?
It is obvious that the plaintiff should be most interested in that the court had as much factual material on the suit as possible in order to prove the guilt of the defendant.
In this case, there is a kind of paradox. It is Ankara, as a potential defendant, which insists on opening archival data, both in Turkey and in Armenia as well as in some other countries, and on creating an international commission of experts, which will examine the documents and issue the final verdict. But most importantly, Turkey has announced that it will accept any decision of that international commission.
President Erdogan has several times said: 'If something serious comes to light after the historical examination of the past, we will be prepared to accept our history. But it is important that the Armenians are also willing to accept their history.'
This has been the Turkish position.
On the contrary, Armenia, to which Ankara's proposals should be beneficial in the first place, doesn't agree to open its archives and create an international expert commission. Have you ever heard that a plaintiff, who brought a charge, was opposing evidence and testimony in the court?
Looks like going through the looking glass – a potential defendant switched sides with a potential plaintiff.
For the overwhelming majority of the world's nations, Armenia's stance is unconvincing.
Even the Holocaust-related crimes, despite thousands of living witnesses and irrefutable facts of Nazi atrocities, went through the International Military Tribunal before a final verdict was handed down.
Historical examination suggested by Turkey is undesirable for some countries, as questions may arise about their extremely impartial role in those events as inciters of the sides.
At the same time, these countries are interested in the issue of the 'Armenian genocide' not losing its relevance. The theme is strangely updated every time when it is necessary to press Turkey on certain international affairs.
Different from Turkey, Armenia is not yet prepared to discuss exactly what happened in the Ottoman Empire 103 years ago.
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