Statement Condemning Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Cryptic Engagement with Genocide Denial – Lemkin Institue For Genocide Prevention
https://www.lemkininstitute.com/statements-new-page/statement-condemning-prime-minister-nikol-pashinyan’s-cryptic-engagement-with-genocide-denial
Posted by pride_of_artaxias
9 Comments
A very lenght and detailed statement:
>While we do not generally involve ourselves in domestic affairs of states unless there is an internal threat of genocide, we must address concerns stemming from recent statements made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that appear to diverge from fundamental principles of genocide prevention, genocide recognition, and transitional justice, and that directly relate to issues of Armenian national security.
The statement mostly responds to Pashinyan’s own statement published on April 24th:
>Perhaps most striking about Pashinyan’s statement on the genocide was the absence of any mention of aggressors. In paragraph three, for example, Pashinyan — discussing the period in the Ottoman Empire leading up to the 1915 genocide — cryptically asserted that“…the Armenian people, who had no statehood, had lost their statehood centuries ago, and essentially had forgotten the tradition of statehood, became victims of geopolitical intrigues and false promises, lacking first of all a political mind capable of making the world and its rules understandable.” This statement seems to assert that Armenians mysteriously experienced genocide due to their own witlessness. **By asserting that Armenians were solely “victims of geopolitical intrigues and false promises,” Pashinyan further disregards the long-term and multi-layered historical oppression of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as well as the deep and visceral contempt for Armenians among members of the Committee of Union and Progress, the ruling party during the genocide.** In other words, Pashinyan’s statement fails to recognize the role played by the ethnic, religious, and cultural animosity for Armenians in the Turkic supremacist campaign of extermination that targeted Armenians during World War I.
>Furthermore, instead of attributing blame for the genocide to the leaders of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Pashinyan redirects attention towards Armenians, and specifically their apparent incapacity to understand politics at the time. He appears to be referencing the actions of the Russian Empire and Western powers during that era, who promised to protect Armenians but did not follow through, which aggravated the Ottoman leaders’ sense of external threat to the empire and drew negative attention to the Armenians as ‘foreign agents’. However, he does not state this outright; instead he seems to believe that Armenians brought the genocide upon themselves by misunderstanding the political terrain. **Pashinyan’s talking points in this passage seem ironic, given that he has himself embraced Western offers to save Armenia from its hostile neighbors. Yet, his talking points also echo the official position of Türkiye regarding the Armenian Genocide which justified it by contracting “against an onslaught of external invaders and internal nationalist independence movements”.** By parroting the Turkish narrative of the events of 1915-1923, the Armenian Prime Minister risks absolving Türkiye of its responsibility for the Armenian Genocide, downplaying all previous acknowledgment efforts. Further, it may substantially hamper the continuing work on international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and Turkish accountability – something that the worldwide Armenian diaspora, as well as genocide scholars and activists, have been fighting for.
>Pashinyan’s argument that “Armenian people, who had no statehood, had lost their statehood centuries ago, and essentially had forgotten the tradition of statehood” inexplicably plays into the denialist agenda of Türkiye and Azerbaijan by obliquely mischaracterizing Armenian efforts to gain equal rights and human security in the Ottoman empire with foolish attempts to exercise a quest for independent statehood for which they had no capacity. **The vast majority of Armenians under Ottoman rule were not seeking secession, but rather security and justice**. Pashinyan’s words directly echo the official Turkish view of the Armenian people as rebellious “traitors” who collaborated with hostile European powers to bring about the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, and who therefore betrayed the country. In fact, in this passage, Pashinyan seems to be making the case that Armenians can only avoid future genocides by capitulating to present-day Türkiye’s expansionist designs.
There’s much more but I think this segment warranted a mention.
Edit: for reference Pashinyan’s statement https://www.primeminister.am/en/statements-and-messages/item/2024/04/24/Nikol-Pashinyan-April-24/
when foreign institutions feel forced to lobby against your own PM for getting the genocide recognized. Simply unreal.
If Armenians hate Azerbaijan because of the Ottomans, that’s their problem. Az didn’t do the Genocide. It became an ally of Turkey because of strategic interests. The one nation, two countries thing doesn’t really work. They are Turkish speaking Persians and were enemies of the Ottomans. They could’ve used other countries to beat us, and they did, by buying weapons from Russia, Israel and Ukraine.
Shared “Turkishness” is merely a cloak of historical revisionism. The Ottomans were trying to erode the Russia by using Islamic movements within the Empire (Islamic Army of the Caucasus). The 1905 clashes in Baku happened before the Genocide. So Armenians were already clashing with Tajiks (proto-Azerbeijanis) at that point.
So in conclusion. Azerbeijan was created as an Ottoman proxy state. But they aren’t guilty of the Genocide.
Pashinyan has intellectual disability. I’m not saying it to be mean, I have been thinking this since 2019. He is not fit to lead a country. You can say he has a good heart or he’s a good person, but him talking to leaders is embarrassing. It always looks like a 5 year old being told what to do and say, no one respects him. A president/prime minister is the face of a country. If no one likes you, then your country cant succeed. Relationships between countries is like a popularity contest. You need to be charismatic and know how to manipulate others.
Armenia is in no position now to openly demand genocide recognition from Turkey, but that doesn’t fucking mean we should spread lies or to try to justify the fascist genocidal Young Turks in any way.
This appeasement policy by Pashinyan towards Erdogan needs to have some red lines, even more so if it’s clear now that it will not bring any serious results (opening of the borders).
This enough is reason to have him removed from office. How can the leader of Armenia speak like this?
Mega 🔥
“Pashinyan’s talking points in this passage seem ironic, given that he has himself embraced Western offers to save Armenia from its hostile neighbors. Yet, his talking points also echo the official position of Türkiye regarding the Armenian Genocide which justified it by contracting “against an onslaught of external invaders and internal nationalist independence movements”.”
I don’t agree with it, but I can *understand* the appeasing, largely submissive approach to Azerbaijan Pashinyan is taking, presumably out of some sense of duress.
But this is indefensible. In his statement he has quite plainly weaved some sense of Armenian responsibility for the Genocide.
Lemkin institute has ties with Vardanyan who planned to replace Pashinyan.
By the way, I am not a fan of Pashinyan.