Tuesday, August 11 2020 13:28

ArmInfo. Turkey issued a  statement on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of  Sevres, and again attacked Yerevan with groundless criticism.  Thus,  the statement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, which is quoted by a  number of media outlets, in particular, reads:

"The time has come for the Armenian authorities to come to their  senses and abandon their aggressive nationalist policy. An attempt to  update the terms of the Treaty of Sevres is another provocation by  Armenia," the Turkish Foreign Ministry assured, responding to  yesterday's statements by the Armenian authorities on the occasion of  the 100th anniversary of the treaty.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry notes that the Peace Treaty of Sevres,  signed on August 10, 1920, "aimed at depriving Turkey of independence  and dismembering, became completely invalid after the signing of the  Lausanne Peace Agreement on July 24, 1923." The Foreign Ministry's  commentary notes the alleged "absurdity of the attempts to update the  Sevres Treaty by the Armenian authorities, which are incapable of  taking care of their people." In conclusion, the Turkish side also  accused Armenia of creating a big obstacle to peace and stability in  the region.  It should be noted that the day before, the top  leadership of Armenia issued a statement on the occasion of the 100th  anniversary of the Sevres Peace Treaty, in which it was noted that  the document has not lost its force and may become the document that  will contribute to a fair resolution of the Armenian issue.

To recall, the Sevres Peace Treaty is one of the treaties of the  Versailles-Washington system, the creation of which marked the end of  the First World War. Signed on August 10, 1920 in the city of Sevres  (France) by the Entente countries and the states that joined them  (Italy, Japan, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the  Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Hijaz, Czechoslovakia and  Armenia), on the one hand , and the government of the Ottoman Empire  on the other. By the time the treaty was signed, a significant part  of Turkey had already been occupied by the troops of the Entente  powers.

The Treaty of Sevres never actually entered into force, and de jure  ceased to operate after the revision of its terms at the Lausanne  Conference of 1923 and the signing of the Lausanne Peace Treaty.

With the Treaty of Sevres, Turkey recognized Armenia as a "free and  independent state". Turkey and Armenia agreed to submit to US  President Woodrow Wilson on arbitration of borders within the Van,  Bitlis, Erzurum and Trebizond governorates and accept his terms  regarding Armenia's access to the Black Sea (via Batum). It was  planned to build a railway through the territory of Georgia to Batum,  in addition, Armenia was provided with a guarantee of transit  privileges and the lease of a part of the Batumi port.  Armenia,  Georgia and Azerbaijan had to establish their mutual borders through  direct negotiations between these states, and if it was impossible to  reach an agreement, through the mediation of the allied powers.