Sarkisian Scheduled to Lay Wreath at Wilson’s Tomb, Meet with Armenian Genocide Survivors Prior to Meetings with Obama and Erdogan
WASHINGTON—On the eve of Armenian President Serge Sarkisian’s visit to Washington, D.C. for the Nuclear Security Summit, leading Armenian civic, religious, and social service organizations have called on Sarkisian to urge President Barack Obama to honor his pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide and to reject Turkish government efforts to use the Turkey-Armenia protocols to delay international affirmation of this crime against humanity, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The April 9 letter cited the Armenian American community’s ongoing efforts to secure U.S. recognition of the genocide, including the recent House Foreign Affairs Committee’s favorable consideration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252). This measure passed the panel with a vote of 23-22, despite strong opposition from the Turkish government and a last-minute attack from the Obama Administration. The letter noted broad-based community outrage over the use of the Turkey-Armenia protocols by opponents of this legislation serving on the Committee, and, more broadly, by those seeking to block U.S. support for a truthful and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide.
The letter goes on to urge Sarkisian to stand by his own words against the misuse of a so-called “historical commission” to call into question the Armenian Genocide, and also to directly call upon Obama and other international leaders to recognize the genocide. The signatories pressed the Armenian president to announce that the Turkey-Armenia protocol discussions cannot continue “given Turkey’s unconstructive and antagonistic posture” throughout the process.
The translated text of the letter is provided below.
During his April 12-13 visit, Sarkisian will join Armenian Genocide survivors and Armenian Americans at the tomb of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, sending a powerful message about both America’s legacy of support for the Armenian Cause, as well as the enduring commitment of all Armenians to a truthful and just resolution of Turkey’s still unpunished crime against the Armenian nation.
A wreath-laying ceremony, scheduled for Mon., April 12 at 11 a.m., will include blessings by Armenian American clergy, including His Eminence Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern U.S.; His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern U.S., and His Eminence Bishop Manuel Batakian, Third Exarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of America.
The ceremony will be followed by the presentation of a letter from genocide survivors to Sarkisian, and remarks by the president.
During his trip to Washington, Sarkisian is scheduled to meet with both Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit, on the eve of the April 24 international commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, presents the U.S. president with an opportunity to honor his pledge to properly recognize this crime, and the Turkish prime minister a chance to announce that his country is lifting its illegal blockade of Armenia and abandoning its campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide. Discussions between the three leaders will also focus on the Turkey-Armenia protocols, widely seen as a process initiated by Turkey to extend U.S. silence on the Armenian Genocide from one April 24th to the next.
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April 9, 2010
Dear Mr. President:
As one of the Armenian Diaspora’s largest and most organized communities, Armenian Americans for decades have been carrying the torch of Armenian Genocide recognition and the restoration of our historical rights.
As you well know, one of the latest successes of this long struggle was the passage of the Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252) in the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. This was not an easy victory. Many Members of Congress used the excuse of not jeopardizing the Armeno-Turkish reconciliation process to escape from supporting this resolution.
It is imperative that the Armenian people—of Diaspora and Homeland—along with the government, present a common front when facing such destructive obstacles in our path of international Armenian Genocide recognition, which will only serve to restore our rights.
On April 12-13, 2010, you will be present at the Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Washington, D.C.
We therefore call on you, Honorable President, to bolster the hard work of Armenian Americans by using this opportunity to publicly appreciate the passage of House Res. 252, and the Congressmen who voted for its passage; you will thereby send a message to the whole world by emphasizing the importance of internationalization of Armenian Genocide recognition, based on the following principles:
1 – The intergovernmental commission designed to promote “historical reconciliation” cannot question the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide. Quoting from your remarks in the April 4, 2010 issue of Der Spiegel: “The creation of such a commission will undermine the historical facts of the Armenian Genocide. That is unacceptable for us. The creation of such a commission would only have a meaning if Turkey confessed to its crime. At that point, scientists could analyze the reasons for this horror.”
2 – The dialogue between Armenia and Turkey and the signed protocols cannot be used as an excuse to derail the Armenian Genocide recognition process. Quoting from your remarks in Der Zor on March 24, 2010: “We do not accept the usage of Armeno-Turkish rapprochement as an excuse to escape from the recognition of the Genocide.”
3 – Call on the U.S. President and the international community to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. As you have said, “America, Europe, Germany, and all other governments that are involved in the Armeno-Turkish reconciliation process should announce their position publicly. If all these governments had recognized the Genocide, Turks would not make such pronouncements.”
4 – And finally, we hope and expect—considering the hardening and threatening posture of Turkey—that while in Washington, you will announce that the process between Armenia and Turkey that has begun with these signed protocols cannot continue because of Turkey’s unconstructive and antagonistic posture.
We are certain that our plea will be echoed. We believe that, as Armenia’s President, following Der Zor and Yerevan, you will continue to call for justice in memory of the Armenian martyrs, in Washington also.
Armenian Americans, with our aim of strengthening our nation, will continue our efforts to preserve our homeland’s national security and future prosperity. It is our expectation that the President of Armenia and the Armenian government stand with the Diaspora by utilizing your government’s powers in the effort toward the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the just resolution our cause.
We look forward to your strong presentation in Washington, D.C.
Armenian Evangelical Union of North America
Apostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian National Committee of America
Armenian National Committee of America Western Region
Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region
Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Eastern U.S. Central Committee
Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Western U.S. Central Committee
Armenian Democratic Liberal Organization – Western United States
Armenian Rights Council of America
Armenian Council of America
Armenian Relief Society – Eastern U.S. Regional Executive
Armenian Relief Society – Western U.S. Regional Executive
HASG – Armenian American Diasporan Organization
Armenian Genocide Commemorative United Body – Los Angeles.
Has any journalist thought about contacting Samantha Powers, who used to be a friend of the Armenian Cause and now is a adviser to president Obama, and ask her why the administrator is not recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and what can the Armenian organizations do, what modifications can the Armenian organizations do to their policies or approaches, etc, to make the Obama administration recognize the Armenian Genocide?
“Amb,” Samantha Power has dropped us like a hot potato now that she’s in with the big boyz. And she’s already been asked to resign due to her duplicity on his issue. See:
http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Putting_Principle_Over_Power:_Why_Samantha_Power_Must_Resign
Why should our social justice groups “modify their policies,” which are based on restorative justice? Who are you to suggest such a thing? It is the genocide deniers who must “modify their policies.”