Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan about historical justice

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s has spoken to Der Spiegel paper; here is the interview.

Der Spiegel: Referring to the 1915 happenings, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his interview with Der Spiegel that ‘the Genocide against Armenians is out of the question.’ Why your neighboring nation can’t accept its past?

Serzh Sargsyan: Well, recently another statement has been made, that ‘Turks couldn’t commit Genocide, while the Turkish history is clear and bright like the sun.’ Turks are against branding the 1915 massacres as Genocide; however, this is not the issue to be solved by Ankara.

Der Spiegel: Erdogan now is even threatening to expel Armenians, who illegally live in Turkey.

Serzh Sargsyan: Such kind of unacceptable statements remind us of the Genocide. Unfortunately, I am not actually surprised that Turkish officials make the statements of that kind.

Der Spiegel: What position should the international community show?

Serzh Sargsyan: It should respond to this; the U.S., Europe, Germany and other countries, involved in Armenia-Turkey reconciliation should respond and show their position in open daylight. If all the nations recognized the 1915 Genocide, then neither statement by Turks would have been made. However, protests by numerous youth activists against the statement are encouraging. There is a new generation there, whose opinion must be looked up to by the political authorities.

Der Spiegel: Turkey accuses you of strong position against the commission of historians. Why are you against it?

Serzh Sargsyan: How the commission may work neutrally, if it is a criminal case to use g-word in Turkey, and one can even be brought to a trial for using Genocide-word. It’s is important to Ankara to stretch the solution-making process; and when the governments of certain nations are voting over the Resolution on Genocide, Turkey may say – don’t be in the way; look, our historians are studying the issue. The creation of the commission would mean the questioning the Genocide. It is unacceptable.

Der Spiegel: Why the issue of recognition of the 1915 Genocide is so important to Armenia now, after 95 years?

Serzh Sargsyan: This is an issue of historical justice and issue of Armenia’s security; the best way to prevent such kind of crimes is its clear condemnation.

Der Spiegel: You can see Ararat, symbol of Armenia, through your cabinet’s window. The Ararat Mountain is now on Turkey’s territory; Turkey is afraid of territorial claims and compensations. Do you want to bring Ararat back?

Serzh Sargsyan: Ararat is in our hearts; in any Armenian’s house anywhere in the world you’ll find a picture of Ararat, no one can take it away. I believe that time will come when Ararat will be a symbol of understanding between the two nations, not division. However, I’d like to point out the following: neither Armenian government has ever claimed for territories; Turks themselves are ascribing them to us. Maybe, gilt?

Der Spiegel: Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed; Iran and Georgia are in some kind of complicated neighbors; isn’t it a better way to break this isolation?

Serzh Sargsyan: We don’t link the issue of recognition of the Genocide with borders’ opening. And is not our fault that the reconciliation isn’t coming true.

Der Spiegel: Turkey wishes for linking the border’s opening with settlement to the Karabakh conflict. Armenians fought in this inflicted war on the territory that Azerbaijan claimed after USSR’s collapse.

Serzh Sargsyan: Turks want us to compromise. However, this is impossible. Right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno Karabakh is an issue of greatest importance. If Azerbaijan recognizes independence of Nagorno Karabakh, then the issue can be solved in a few hours. Unfortunately, up to now Azerbaijan claims Nagorno Karabakh; while Karabakh’s joining to Azerbaijan means a certain deportation of Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh, and this all just in a very short period.

Der Spiegel: Do you have a solution to this?

Serzh Sargsyan: Why former Yugoslavia’s nations could receive the independence? So why can’t Nagorno Karabakh practice the same right? Is the reason – gas and oil resources of Azerbaijan and Turkey’s patronage? We consider this to be unfair.