Friday, April 24 2015 08:27

 "The ideal scenario on April 24 Remembrance Day this year would be giving tribute to the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide jointly with the Turkish President on the hill of Tsitsernakaberd, and proclaiming from the Memorial to the whole world that we join our efforts in condemning the crimes of genocide of the past thus preventing the possible recurrence of genocide and other crimes against humanity," President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Hurriyet newspaper. 

" This was exactly our aim when we sent an invitation to the President of Turkey to participate in the commemoration events on April 24. Unfortunately, this became another missed opportunity for Turkey," the president said.

Commenting on the suspended process of the Armenian-Turkish normalization, the recalled Zurich protocols, Sargsyan said: "That was a process, which had not reached its logical conclusion. Should it have been crowned with success, perhaps, we would have found ourselves in another reality: it is possible that eventually Turkey itself could have acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, and with that we would enter a new phase of a genuine reconciliation between our nations. Today we have what we have." 

Serzh Sargsyan believes that the present tendencies of recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by various states and organizations demonstrate in practice the international community's awareness that impunity for the crimes against humanity is inadmissible, and Armenia shall join efforts to devise effective mechanisms for the prevention thereof.

"The continuous process of the Armenian Genocide recognition by the international community should be a serious signal to the Turkish authorities that the denials stance of Turkey on this issue does not in any way or shape fit the values and realities of the XXI century," he said.  In response to the question what Armenia has gained from the latest statement by Pope Francis, the president said that the world leaders are vested with a unique mission to prevent crimes against humanity. 
"In this context, the Mass at St. Peter's Basilica served by Pope Francis on April 12 to commemorate the Armenian Genocide Centennial, who followed the lead of Pope John Paul II in defining the well- known events as genocide, was a clear demonstration to that effect. The Pope's statement was a message of humanism, tolerance, struggle against xenophobia, and crimes against humanity addressed to the entire humankind. I hope it will become a landmark to guide especially those countries that subordinate universal values to their political interests.

The emotional and non-diplomatic reaction of the Turkish leadership was yet another proof that Turkey continued its policy of evident denial pursued at a state level, thus taking upon it the burden of the responsibility for the crime perpetrated by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire. If Turkey does not share this view, if it disagrees with numerous countries and international organizations that have recognized the Armenian Genocide, that is Turkey's problem, and not the one of the international community," Serzh Sargsyan said.