FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2001
CONTACT: Joan Ablett
Telephone: (202)393-3434
E-mail: jablett@aaainc.org
Web:
ASSEMBLY "DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED" AS TARC'S TURKISH COMMISSIONERS STOP STUDY ON
APPLICABILITY OF UN CONVENTION TO THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Knollenberg, Pallone Call Turkish Government "Responsible" If TARC Fails
WASHINGTON, DC - The Assembly was deeply disappointed to learn yesterday
that the Turkish Commissioners unilaterally instructed the International
Center for Transitional Justice to refrain from initiating its study
regarding the applicability of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention to the
Armenian Genocide. Accordingly, the Armenian Commissioners announced that
they had informed TARC Chairman David L. Phillips that TARC would not
proceed.
The action by the Turkish Commissioners was taken without informing TARC
moderator David Phillips or the Armenian Commissioners. In a letter to its
members issued late yesterday, the Assembly said, "We speculate that they
grew uncomfortable with the study's anticipated result. Rather than
proceed, the Turks chose to back away from what would have been another
breakthrough for Turkey and Armenia." The letter added that the Turkish
Commissioners' action "breached fundamental agreements" and that the Turkish
retreat from good faith progress needed to be exposed.
The request for the study followed the most recent TARC meeting, held in New
York City, November 18-21. Commissioners Arzoumanian and Migranian told a
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter that application of the UN
Convention "could affect the panel's future policy recommendations to
official Ankara and Yerevan."
An Assembly letter to its membership dated December 12 said, "This action by
the Turkish Commissioners, coupled with Turkey's refusal to take any action
to improve relations with Armenia, is unacceptable. The Assembly actively
supported the TARC process. However, we concur with the Commissioners'
action and commend them for sticking to their principles."
"We strongly support the Armenian Assembly's view that should TARC end in
this fashion, Turkey will bear full responsibility for explaining this
failure to governments and groups around the world who have expressed hope
and support for Turkish-Armenian reconciliation," said Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairs Representatives Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone Jr.
(D-NJ). "Unfortunately, the Turkish Commissioners by their actions and the
Turkish Government by its inaction have probably doomed TARC."
The Armenian Assembly praised the formation of the Commission earlier this
year in Geneva, Switzerland as a significant international development. It
noted that its support for the initiative was in line with other Genocide
affirmation undertakings including passage of resolutions in state, national
and international legislatures, the development of the Armenian Genocide
Museum and Memorial in Washington, DC and the ongoing work at the Armenian
National Institute.
In an August 2 statement referencing the Armenian Genocide and its relevance
to TARC, the Armenian Commissioners said, "[The Armenian Genocide] is an
internationally recognized fact. But the legal, psychological and political
issues that grew from it have long called out for rational, structured
discussion. The lack of direct dialogue has only worsened a bad situation.
There is also no question that other countries' recognition of the Armenian
Genocide is important in its own right. Each country must come to terms with
its own record on this issue. It is a critical process which reconciliation
efforts such as this one in no way impede."
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) was founded in
March 2001 to assist societies pursuing accountability for human rights
abuse arising from repressive rule, mass atrocity or armed conflict.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
NR# 2001-180
No comments:
Post a Comment