Declaration by FIDH member organisations in Armenia and in Turkey

Within the framework of the FIDH 37th Congress-Forum, which took place in Armenia on April 6-8, the FIDH member organisations in Armenia and in Turkey have issued a joint declaration, published below:

“We strongly believe that the protection of human rights throughout Turkey and the South Caucasus is key in the process of peace-building, reconciliation and good neighbourly relations between all countries in the region, in order to ensure the safety, wellbeing and dignity of people across borders.

We call on both countries and societies in Armenia and Turkey to join their efforts and to create the necessary environment and processes to compensate for any negative consequences of human rights abuses committed in the past, including discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion etc, and to adhere to the standards of human rights protection as defined by international instruments.

As an essential component to ensure respect for human rights throughout the region, we call for freedom of expression in all countries, and for the abolishment of any laws and practices that prevent free speech, including those imposing constraints on the Armenian-Turkish dialogue, such as Article 301 of the Criminal Code of Turkey.

We urge the political parties of the government and of the opposition in Turkey and Armenia to fulfill their duties to take every necessary step to normalize relations between the two countries and societies. This includes the imminent need to implement the bilateral Protocols on the normalisation of diplomatic relations and the opening of mutual borders. Progress in this direction and the process of democratic transformation in Turkey will create a favourable environment for addressing the painful issue of the Armenian Genocide.

We denounce all forms of hostility fed by militaristic ambitions and structures among nations in the region.

To ensure sustainable peace between Armenia and Turkey and the prevention of mutual hostility in the future, we call on the two governments to ratify and implement the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

With the aim of building bridges between the two societies, we call on both countries to implement inclusive policies and to abolish exclusive approaches in every sphere of life.

We call on the governments and civil societies of both countries to promote equal and just treatment in every sphere of life, including media, education, administration, legal practices, and public life.”