The December 11th statement of the Armenian members of the infamous “Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission” about the cessation and collapse of the said Commission represents a belated confession about the failure of the proclaimed aims of the Armenians on the Commission.
The Armenian members of the Commission and the Armenian Assembly of America, which supported the entire endeavor, should have foreseen from the start that this Commission was to be used to undermine the efforts at gaining recognition for the Armenian Genocide. During the five months of the Commission’s existence and as a direct result of its work, great losses have been registered in aspects requiring a unified and collective Armenian action, and the momentum of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the US and Europe has been hindered severely. All those who participated in and assisted the Commission in its experimental and adventurous endeavor are accountable to history, as the negative impacts of this experience will undoubtedly continue to be felt for some time to come.
On this occasion, the ARF Bureau declares:
a. Reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey cannot be achieved without the acceptance of the historical truth. Armenian-Turkish dialog can be effective only after Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, a necessity which cannot be compromised.
b. While accepting the necessity for dialogue between two sovereign states, the recognition of Turkey’s responsibility in the Armenian Genocide cannot be severed and separated from the sphere of Armenia-Turkey relations, thus making this issue an inseparable part of Armenia’s foreign policy.
c. Now more than ever, the efforts towards the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide will proceed with new and unprecedented vigor, and it is expected of international political circles and public opinion to assist in these efforts, especially in view of the determination of the Armenian people to reestablish and secure truth and justice.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun Bureau
12 December 2001
Yerevan
