YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–ARF’s Levon Mkrtchian addressed the negative consequences of the Armenian Turkish Reconciliation Commission (TARC) during an April 21 seminar in Yerevan organized by the Nigol Aghbalian Student Association and the section of the Middle Eastern Studies Club dealing with the Armenian Case. The seminar dealt with processes in gaining international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Mkrtchian said that TARC not only disrupted the internal unity of the Armenian people–but it also hindered efforts to gain international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Mkrtchian–who is the ARF faction head in Armenia’s National Assembly–asserted that TARC was set up in the heat of struggling for the international recognition of the Genocide–when the process of international recognition of the Genocide was at a very successful level in the US. "The process had reached Europe–and there was real panic in Turkish circles–and among Turkey’s supporters."
Addressing TARC’s goals–Mkrtchian said it was established more so for gaining publicity than seeing results. "Certain persons with scientific or diplomatic experience united–and tried to speak with similar people from the neighboring country."
The questions that consistently remained since TARC’s inception–said Mkrtchian–were: "Who authorized that certain persons represent Armenia–and approved their level of representation; what were the primary topics of conversations; what fundamental approach was clarified–and to what degree did the approach consider the position of various Armenian political layers; and how informed is the Armenian society–or at least the political arena of the an established agenda?"
Mkrtchian said that the 1998 inclusion of the international recognition of the Genocide in Armenia’s foreign policy agenda can be considered our greatest victory–because it has become–in essence–the Armenian government’s policy to take care of national issues and pursue a solution within the framework of international law.
"As a result of the persistent–decades-long effort–first in the Diaspora–then within Armenia–the pursuit for international recognition is yielding concrete results," said Mkrtchian–pointing to official recognition by the parliamen’s of various countries.