ARF: The authorities of Armenia possess virtually no effective means  to influence the course of normalization

ArmInfo.The 111th anniversary commemoration of the victims of the Armenian Genocide is upon us.

While the passage of time may appear to distance us from the consequences of that abhorrent crime against humanity, recent developments in our history—namely, the occupation and the ethnic  cleansing of Artsakh—once again demonstrate that the Armenian Genocide was not a crime confined to a specific time and place, but an ongoing process aimed at the extermination or displacement of the  Armenian people from their homeland, as noted in a statement issued by the ARF Armenian Cause Central Council.

According to the document, Genocide remains both a crime and an  existential threat so long as the perpetrating state has neither  acknowledged its political and moral responsibility nor been  compelled to do so by the international community. Recognition of  genocide is equally necessary for the perpetrator—to cleanse itself  of a historical stigma and cease to pose a civilizational threat—and  for the victim, as a guarantee against the continuation of genocidal  intent.

" For decades, the struggle for the international recognition,  condemnation, and reparations of the Armenian Genocide has been aimed  primarily at ensuring the secure existence of Armenia and the  Armenian people. This pursuit has never been an end in itself for the  Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Diaspora, or the international  community; rather, it has sought to foster lasting peace and  coexistence in the region through the restoration of justice and a  reckoning with history.

In Armenian–Turkish relations, there is no “conflict” in the  classical sense. It is therefore misguided to approach interstate  normalization through conventional conflict-resolution mechanisms. In  this context, there exists a perpetrator state whose denialist  policies—and ongoing actions—demonstrate the persistence of genocidal  intent, and a victimized side seeking to prevent the recurrence of  such actions.  The ongoing Armenia–Turkey negotiation process  illustrates this reality. Despite the Armenian authorities having  imprudently and unconditionally met all of Turkey’s preconditions,  the Turkish side has not only refrained from implementing even  agreed-upon symbolic steps but has also introduced new preconditions  and continues to link Armenia–Turkey relations to Armenia–Azerbaijan  dynamics. In effect, Turkey maintains an unlawful blockade against  the Republic of Armenia, which constitutes a manifestation of hostile  policy.

As a result, a situation has emerged in which the authorities of  Armenia possess virtually no effective means to influence the course  of normalization. Under these conditions, it becomes evident that  Armenia– Turkey relations should not be treated as a conventional  conflict. A genuine path toward normalization— both at the interstate  level and, potentially, between the two peoples—can only emerge when  the Turkish state adopts policies that do not aim at dismantling  Armenia’s security architecture and do not entail the continuation of  the genocidal crime. On this solemn anniversary, we honor the memory  of our innocent victims and reaffirm that the memory of the Armenian  Genocide cannot be denied, and its international recognition cannot  be subject to negotiation," the statement reads.