The Cathedral of Ani, built in 1001 A.D by Armenian architect Trdat in the ruined ancient Armenian capital of Ani, currently located in what is now eastern Turkey.
A representative of Armenians of Western Armenia says the protocols signed by Yerevan and Ankara earlier this month directly infringe upon the rights of Armenians of Western Armenia.
Under the protocols Armenia and Turkey establish diplomatic ties and undertake to develop bilateral relations in the future. The documents signed by the two countries’ foreign ministers on October 10 await ratification in both parliaments.
A member of the National Council of the Armenians of Western Armenia, chief representative of Western Armenia in a UN forum on indigenous peoples Armenak Abrahamyan says that the protocol “On Establishing Diplomatic Relations” commits Armenia to recognizing its existing border with Turkey, which, according to him, is an act of forgetting Western Armenia. According to Abrahamyan, as an indigenous people, Armenians are entitled to make a territorial claim under a corresponding UN resolution.
“This protocol means that Armenia gives up its historical Armenian lands. It means that the history of Armenia is completely changed and the rights of Armenians of Western Armenia do not exist and that there was no genocide,” says Abrahamyan.
Abrahamyan, who comes from a family of natives of Karin in modern Turkey, lives in France. He took an active part in the Karabakh war and says “many like me fought till the end for Karabakh.”
“I would never expect such an attitude from Armenia’s leadership. What happened now that they’ve started such a movement against us?” queries Abrahamyan.
The National Council of the Armenians of Western Armenia was set up in 2004 in Shushi, Karabakh, with the goal of uniting Western Armenians from all over the world. The Council has assemblies in different places of the world to where Western Armenians can apply for the protection of their rights.
Some political analysts, unlike Abrahamian and his supporters, think that in the case of the return of Western Armenian lands, currently populated by Kurds (15 million) to Armenia, Turkey will do great harm to Armenia.
Thus, head of the Chair of Political Science at the Yerevan State University Gagik Keryan thinks that Armenia should establish diplomatic ties and get the border opened first and only then think about presenting territorial claims.
“If Western Armenia is returned to Armenia, then Armenia will face the Kurdish issue. What will we, less then three million Armenians with our mentality of leaving for Los Angeles, do against 15 million Kurds?” says Keryan.
Abrahamyan, meanwhile, says that these territories should first be populated by Armenians and only then the border should be opened.
“We created our organization in order to prepare our people,” says Abrahamyan and adds that if ratified, the protocols will become legal documents and the only way to contest them will be to apply to court, which “requires much effort and guarantees no success.”
Abrahamyan is also critical of the provision of the protocols that envisage the establishment of an intergovernmental sub-commission on the so-called “historical dimension” of relations between Armenia and Turkey.
“Don’t we yet know our history? We don’t need Turks in order to know our history,” says Abrahamyan.
The leadership of Armenia and their political allies insist that the current rapprochement with Turkey is taking place without preconditions and does not compromise on any national issue, including the issue of Western Armenia and genocide.
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