Academician: Turkey threatens the existence of the Armenian people  even 105 years after the Armenian Genocide

ArmInfo.Obviously, opinions that the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey was the result of cooperation of Armenians with Russia, volunteer movements, etc.  have no grounds. Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy  of Sciences of Armenia, Academician Ruben Safrastyan expressed such  an opinion to ArmInfo. 

"The first genocidal program of the Ottoman government was developed  back in May 1876 and was directed against the Bulgarians. Then two  programs were launched against the Armenian people - in the 1890s and  in 1915. Another program directed already against the Republic of  Armenia appeared in 1920. All this suggests that the ruling elite in  the Ottoman Empire and subsequently the Kemalists considered the  complete destruction of the people as the only solution to the  national issue, "he stressed.  The planning of the Armenian Genocide,  according to the academician, began in 1910 with an important meeting  of the Young Turkish Party, after which its congress was held. The  program was finally ready by the end of 2014.  And it is very  important to mention the "Armenian crisis" of 1912-14.  As a result,  the Ottoman Empire was forced to sign an agreement with five European  countries on the gradual withdrawal of Western Armenia from its  membership.

Safrastyan noted with regret that the start of the First World War  prevented the implementation of this program.  Nevertheless, the  elite of the Ottoman Empire and the Young Turks, according to the  academician, made the proper conclusions from this, realizing the  beginning of the process towards the formation of the sovereignty of  Western Armenia. Already in 1915 they prevented such scenario with  the genocide of the Armenian people. Subsequently, the same Young  Turks intended to continue the process of extermination of the  Armenian people already under the name of Kemalists.

"It should be noted that the Justice and Development Party, which is  ruling in Turkey today, is doing this in a coalition with the  pan-Turkic Nationalist Movement Party. This suggests that Pan-Turkism  is one of the acceptable ideologies in the governance of the Turkish  state. At present, the Turkish Armed Forces are deployed in Syria,  Libya, Cyprus, Iraq, Qatar, and  in fact, in Nakhijevan. In other  words, Ankara's policy today is dangerous not only for its neighbors,  but also, for Libya, "he stressed.

According to the academician, today, 105 years after the Armenian  Genocide, Turkey continues to pose a threat to the very existence of  the Armenian people. In particular, contributing to Azerbaijan's  aggressive policy towards Armenia by all diplomatic and other means  at its disposal. Moreover, Ankara does not stop making rather  arrogant attempts to intervene in the Karabakh conflict settlement  process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.  At the same  time, it clearly realizes futility of such attempts, trying to  emphasize its own importance in South Caucasian politics. 

"The politics of modern Turkey is based on symbols. Ankara is always  trying to demonstrate more power than it actually has.  Pressure,  ultimatums, blackmail against neighboring countries and even the EU  and the USA are Turkey's attempt to demonstrate, remind the world of  its Ottoman past. Similarly Turks are behaving in relation to the  Artsakh issue. We must be prepared for Turkey's attempt for its own  purposes to engage, to force Azerbaijan to another aggression against  Armenia or Artsakh. This is part of the Turkish strategy, " the  academician summarized.  On April 24, Armenians all over the world  celebrate a mournful date - the 105th anniversary of the Armenian  Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The first in the modern history of  mankind a large-scale international crime with the aim of killing an  entire people for political and ethnic reasons.  The deliberate  actions of the Turkish government are reflected in indisputable  facts, confirmed by irrefutable documents and evidence from various  sources. The number of countries recognizing the fact of the Armenian  Genocide is approaching 30. In addition, the Genocide is recognized  by individual entities in several countries, including 49 of the 50  US states. Turkey itself denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide.