The problem of the denial of the Genocide stems from the fact that it has not been recognized by Turkey. This was stated by the President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, during an interview given via video link to the authoritative Indian information platform StratNews Global.
In response to the question of how he assesses the fact that Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide, the President of the Republic of Armenia answered: “I will single out a few points, the first of which I will call strength. If you accept your mistakes, then you are strong; you can say, yes, I made a wrong step and I regret it. That step does not weaken you but strengthens you.
The second point I will call truth and justice. One and a half million people were martyred in the territory of the former Ottoman Empire. Those people had lived there for thousands of years; Armenians were not newcomers. And what remains of their culture, the thousands of churches, fortresses, cultural centers, great literature, and so on? There is a history, and the world has recognized it.
If one day Turkey officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide, then that will first and foremost be good for the people of Turkey and for Turkey. For example, Turkey wants to join the European Union, yet one of Europe’s greatest values is tolerance, which keeps Europe united. It is important to recognize history and to walk the path of tolerance.
In 1915 we lost 1.5 million people. By simple arithmetic, if that had not happened, the Armenians of the whole world, who today number about 10 million, of whom 3 million live in Armenia, would have been 20-25 million. This is not only about the death of 1.5 million Armenians, but the loss of generations, people who were never born.
We have also been, for centuries, bearers of different cultures and information, merchants. Armenians have always been connected to different cultures. Armenians have been at the crossroads of civilization; we are the first Christian country in the world; we have suffered greatly, which, I believe, has made us a strong, surviving people. In the 21st century, individual survivors will continue to be very important.”
