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Texte de la Déclaration Commune:

Déclaration commune des institutions et associations arméniennes d'Europe au sujet de la nouvelle Commission réconciliation Turco-Arménienne (C.R.A.T.)

Selon les informations, dont la presse s’est faite l’écho depuis quelques jours, la « Commission de réconciliation Turco-Arménienne » serait bientôt réactivée sous une nouvelle formule.

A ce stade de la mise à jour de ce projet renouvelé, nous réservons notre avis sur la nature de cette initiative que les informations présentent comme le successeur de la ''Commission'' précédente.

Rappelons que les activités de cette « Commission » étaient sous-tendues par l’idée que la véracité historique du génocide des Arméniens reste à démontrer, que les travaux allant en ce sens et leurs éventuelles conséquences relèvent, en tout état de cause, du domaine de la recherche historique et que ce génocide constitue un différend entre les peuples turc et arménien.

Dans les faits, l’existence de cette « Commission » a servi d’alibi à la Turquie pour demander à différentes instances politiques dans le monde, parfois avec succès, de marquer un arrêt dans le processus de reconnaissance du génocide des Arméniens.

Pour toutes ces raisons, les organisations arméniennes d’Europe, les groupes politiques présents à l’Assemblée nationale d’Arménie et l’ensemble de l’opinion publique arménienne dans le monde ont rejeté cette « Commission » ; par suite, tout en affirmant notre soutien au principe de dialogue entre deux Etats sur des questions d’intérêt commun, nous dénonçons avec force toute tentative de reconstitution de cette CRAT (Commission de réconciliation turco-arménienne), et soulignons que ce type d’initiatives est une nouvelle forme du négationnisme de l’Etat turc.

Nous constatons en effet que loin de faire un effort honnête pour reconnaître la vérité sur le génocide des Arméniens, la Turquie continue d’imposer un blocus à l’Arménie, et poursuit une politique régionale expansionniste menaçant la stabilité du Caucase ainsi que la sécurité de l’Arménie.
En conséquence, considérant que la Communauté Internationale doit mettre la Turquie devant ses responsabilités, et en dépit de cette nouvelle initiative, nous nous engageons à soutenir activement la poursuite de la reconnaissance internationale du génocide des Arméniens.

Aussi, nous appelons à la vigilance l’ensemble des organisations, associations et individus attachés aux principes de justice et de vérité, afin de mettre en garde cette nouvelle commission contre toute nouvelle tentative de prolonger ou de légitimer la politique négationniste de la Turquie.

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>> Les associations et institutions qui souhaitent se joindre à cette déclaration commune peuvent nous envoyer leur signature via e-mail au cdca.europe@wanadoo.be en inscrivant "signature" dans l'objet du message.

English version

PRESS RELEASE
April 26, 2002
Contact: Talline Tachdjian
Tel.: +32 (0)2 732 70 27

ANC-Europe launches European initiative against the new TARC

-- Invites Armenian Organizations to remain Vigilant in the face of Renewed Turkish Efforts to Manipulate Europe's Armenian Community

Brussels, Belgium - In the wake of the recent announcement of the creation of a a successor commission to the failed Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC), the Armenian National Committee of Europe (C.D.C.A. Europe) has launched a Europe-wide Armenian initiative to bring together the continent's Armenian organizations in opposition to Turkey's efforts to manipulate Armenians in pursuit of their Armenian Genocide denial campaign.

"At the outset, we are inviting the various associations of Europe to sign a Joint Declaration warning of the dangers of this commission, and underscoring the damage done to the Armenian Cause by the previous one. In this declaration, European organizations denounce the basic assumption underlying the activities of TARC - the idea that the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide was still subject to debate and that the Genocide was merely a dispute to be argued between the Armenians and the Turks", declares Hilda Tchoboian, Chairwoman of the C.D.C.A. Europe. "While understanding the role that real dialogue can play between Armenians and Turks, it must be recognized that TARC served as nothing but a tool for Turkey to attempt to derail, at times with success , recent international progress toward recognition of the Armenian Genocide".

In view of this fact, European Armenian organizations, the political parties represented in the Armenian Parliament, and the Armenian public opinion worlwide have rejected this Commission.

" We are deeply troubled that this new TARC is only a re-emergence of the former one - that its new formulation will, just like the original TARC, simply be a smoke screen created to help Turkey advance its true goal of obstructing international recognition of the Genocide", noted Tchoboian. "Far from taking any sincere steps toward the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey has instead consistently maintained its blockade of Armenia and pursued expansionist regional policies, endangering the stability of the Caucasus and the security of Armenia".

Tchoboian also affirmed that, despite this new initiative, the Armenians of Europe remain committed to actively supporting the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and call upon European associations and citizens to join in this declaration.


Joint Declaration text:

JOINT DECLARATION OF ARMENIAN ASSOCIATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS OF EUROPE AGAINST THE REEMERGENCE OF TARC

According to recent press accounts, the so-called Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) is about to be reactivated under a newly conceived format.

At this early stage, we reserve specific commentary on the nature of this undertaking, which is being promoted as the successor organism of the "Commission" that was previously active.

It is important to remember that the basic assumption underlying the activities of TARC was the idea that the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide was still subject to debate, that the Genocide was merely a dispute to be argued between the Armenians and the Turks, and that future efforts in this regard, and their ultimate consequences, should be relegated to the field of historical research.

In reality, this "Commission" served as nothing but a tool for Turkey to attempt to derail, at times with success, recent international progress toward recognition of the Armenian Genocide by various world bodies.

In view of these facts, the European Armenian organizations, the political parties represented in the Armenian Parliament, and the Armenian public opinion worldwide have rejected this "Commission". Therefore, while reaffirming our support for the principle of dialogue between two nations with regard to all questions of common interest, we strongly denounce all attempts at reconstituting this so-called Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission, and we emphasize that such initiatives are nothing but new iterations of the Turkish government's denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Far from taking any sincere steps toward the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey has instead consistently maintained its blockade of Armenia and pursued expansionist regional policies, endangering the stability of the Caucasus and the security of Armenia.

Therefore, in light of the international community's obligation to hold Turkey accountable for its responsibilities, and despite this new initiative, we commit ourselves to actively pursuing international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

At the same time, we call upon all organizations, associations and individuals, who share a commitment to the principles of justice and truth, to be vigilant and place this new "Commission" on notice against all new attempts to prolong or legitimize the denialist policies of the Turkish government

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Associations and institutions which wish to join this Joint Declaration can send an e-mail with "signature" in the subject heading to cdca.europe@wanadoo.be

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