Hrant Bagratyan: Armenia does not need Turkey to recognize the genocide (video)
Our authorities do not know what they will do next after Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide. “Many of the Diasporan Armenians in the West, I would not say sound thinkers, says that the Genocide issues allows them to remain consolidated, to remain Armenians. The paradox is that we seem to need a permanent genocide so that our compatriots can remain Armenians in the West,” says Hrant Bagratyan, a member of the Armenian National Congress (HAK). He says Armenia needs to develop an agenda for the recognition of the Genocide: our task is to make Turkey recognize the genocide. “Armenia needs an ally in order to speak to Turkey as a claimant. In such cases, we usually turn to Russia. But Russia is not stupid and it will not assist us for nothing. “By and large, Russia does not care who owns Lake Van. Van will not be ours. We had better build our country on this 37 000 sq. km land,” Mr Baghratyan said. "Russia will not understand us like human beings," continues the former Prime Minister of Armenia. He is ridiculed to hear Armenia’s complaints that Russia is selling arms to Azerbaijan. “That is why I say that the relations with Turkey should be on our top agenda,” he said. Hrant Bagratyan notes that even Turkish intellectuals ask him about our agenda. This, he says, does not mean that Turkey might recognize the Armenian Genocide tomorrow or commit a new genocide. But we need an agenda. In this connection, the economist says he was amused to hear that a newly formed party in Armenia demands that Turkey return our lands at the same time trying to take Armenia to Europe. Didn’t you learn anything from our history? What do we want? If we want to have a free country we should normalize the relations with our neighbours. If we want Armenia to become a region of Russia or Europe, that is q different question,” he said. Hrant Bagratyan realized that Armenia does not need Turkey to recognize the Genocide, as it will immediately raise the issue of compensation and land restitution.
