ԵՀՄՖ մամլո քարտուղարությունը տեղեկացնում է, որ ԵՀՄՖ նախագահ դոկ. Աշոտ Գրիգորյանի բաց նամակն` ուղղված Թուրքիայի Հանրապետության նախագահ Աբդուլա Գյուլին, անգլերեն տարբերակով ուղարկվել է նրա աշխատակազմ, ինչպես նաև Թուրքիայի վարչապետ Ռեջեփ Թայիփ Էրդողանին և Թուրքիայի արտգործնախարար Ահմեդ Դավութօղլուն: Նամակի կրկնօրինակները ուղարկվել են Սլովակիայի, Չեխիայի, Ավստրիայի թուրքական դեսպանատներին, Սլովակիայում հավատարմագրված բոլոր դեսպաններին, միջազգային կազմակերպությունների եվրոպական գրասենյակներին (ՄԱԿ, ՅՈՒՆԵՍԿՕ, Եվրամիություն, Եվրախորհուրդ, ԵԱՀԿ և այլն), ինչպես նաև համաշխարհային մեծ ճանաչում ունեցող լրատվամիջոցներին (BBC, CNN, Ռոյտեր և այլն): Ստորև ներկայացվում է բաց նամակի անգլերեն բնօրինակը:

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY,
MR. ABDULLAH GÜL.
Your Excellency,

You and Prime Minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan represent “Justice and Development” party as its founders and for many years have lead Turkey as President and Prime Minister. This year you will face an important test by organising and participating in the elections. We wish to inform you that the leadership of the Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe will be watching closely the municipal elections of 30 March 2014 and the following presidential elections. It is believed that you are likely to sustain leadership in these elections, which however is what gives rise to concerns as to what type of a country you want to build and what your vision for Turkey’s future is. This is especially interesting in the current situation where a powerful political society no longer wishes to tolerate false democracy and fights against injustice and traditionalist practices.

We are delighted that in the pre-election lists there are individuals of Armenian origin, which we consider a major step forward, given that in Turkey not so long ago an ‘Armenian’ was considered an insult. We are hopeful that this is not a pretence to merely please the West and that in the subsequent national elections the ethnic identity of political candidates will not be a tool for discrimination whether vis-à-vis the voters or the organisers. It is also commendable that the civil society in Turkey has begun to enjoy civil treatment in relation to its complaints demonstrated by protests, campaigns and other expressions of dissatisfaction in accordance with European norms. This is a major step forward, especially if compared to the reaction of Turkish authorities to similar situations several decades ago, not to mention the intolerance of the Turkish authorities exhibited towards their citizens’ legitimate claims approximately a hundred years ago. At the time, formed Armenian political parties began to demand humane treatment towards Armenians living in their land, who were also Turkish subjects. But what response did my compatriots get for their libertarian, democratic and patriotic views? They were sentenced to massacres and death. Indeed, at the beginning of the previous century the victims of the Armenian Genocide too dreamt of a just and developed state. Yet they were butchered in an animal-like manner on their native land or starved to death during deportations in the desert of Der Zor and elsewhere.

Your Excellency, we believe that today’s Turkey is very grateful for the famous offspring of the Armenian nation, who have greatly contributed to Turkey’s architecture, art, trade, industry, science, music and development in other areas. Armenian culture has also produced renowned talents and contributed to Armenian and global culture. Unfortunately, however, many of those fell victim to genocide orchestrated by the Young Turks regime. The time has come for Turkey to face its past and gather the courage to call those crimes by their true names. You are no doubt aware, that the events of 1915 gave rise to the American lawyer and statesman Raphael Lemkin’s coining of the term ‘genocide’, later applied to the Jewish Holocaust. Since then numerous countries have condemned the Armenian Genocide and an EU Member State, Slovakia, has even passed a law punishing the denial of the Armenian Genocide (Act Nr 300/2005 – CRIMINAL CODE, Section 424a, adopted on September 01, 2009 by Act Nr 257/2009).
Today Turkey strives to become a country with high democratic standards and a full EU Member State. The Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe certainly defends this aspiration, if, of course, today’s Turkish authorities find the courage to accept the Armenian Genocide. Undoubtedly, the current Turkish authorities appreciate that continuous denial of the Armenian Genocide will only isolate Turkey and will not allow it to ever become a truly just and democratic state. Recognition of the Armenian Genocide will further respect towards your country not only among Armenians around the world, but civilised humanity worldwide.

Ashot Grigorian,
President, FAAE
Bratislava, 17.03.2014