Prime Minister Pashinyan delivered a message from the heights of Tsitsernakaberd, in which he stated:
“Dear people,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Artsakh,
Proud Diaspora-based Armenians,
Today, April 24, 2020 marks the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ottoman Turkey’s long-standing policy of Armenophobia culminated in 1915 during the Young Turk government.
Due to the Genocide that had been perpetrated at a state level for many years, Western Armenia was completely emptied of Armenians. 1.5 million of our compatriots were killed, hundreds of thousands of Armenians became refugees, deprived of the right to live in their historical homeland.
Due to the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian people not only suffered enormous human losses, but were subjected to deportation and a cultural genocide. The loss of the spiritual and religious heritage was irreparable; its material damage was enormous.
The Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire was a crime not only against our ethnic identity, but also against human civilization. And April 24, 1915, became the strongest symbol of this whole process, because on that very day hundreds of Armenian intellectuals, religious and political figures were arrested, exiled, killed or disappeared by order of the Young Turk government.
For 55 years now, we have been commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide on April 24. For the first time, it was marked in 1965, when thousands of Armenians were allowed to hold a mass commemorative event in Yerevan. This was not only due to the “thaw” in the Soviet Union, but also to the fact that in 1946-49 about a hundred thousand Armenians, mostly descendants of Genocide victims, repatriated and became an integral part of Soviet Armenia.
The government of Soviet Armenia decided to declare April 24 a day of remembrance for Genocide victims and to build a memorial in Tsitsernakaberd. That majestic monument became a vivid symbol of our people’s eternity.
At the same time, a movement for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide started in the colonies of the Armenian Diaspora. The movement that spearheaded the political and social structures in the Diaspora for many decades succeeded in many countries owing to advocates’ tireless efforts.
The Armenian Genocide has been officially recognized by 30 countries around the world, and we are grateful to all those states, international organizations, religious and secular leaders who expressed solidarity with the Armenian people and recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide.
Dear compatriots,
Armenians all over the world are today commemorating the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide. Why did our feelings failed to fade away after a century, and the memory is now even brighter in our hearts? The answer is simple. More than a century has passed, but the consequences of the Genocide have not been eliminated. Turkey has not yet apologized for what it did. That is why we declare that we remember and demand.
At the same time, we consider that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not only our national cause, but it is a matter of global agenda, because April 24 is not only a day of remembrance for our innocent victims, but a day of commemoration of a major crime committed against mankind, a day of calling for the fight against denial, a day of responsibility to prevent other serious crimes against humanity.
And yet, April 24 is first of all the most compelling opportunity to think about the past and the future of our nation, our people, the right moment for self-recognition, for appreciating our strength and the steps to take ahead.
So, what conclusions should we draw from April 24?
First, the Young Turk government issued a death sentence against the Armenian people in 1915 and did everything to enforce that awful decision. The one and a half million sanctified Armenian martyrs strengthened our will to live, create, get stronger, remember and demand; our nation triumphed over death.
The second and equally important consequence is that we are still facing the challenges posed to our people at the outset of the twentieth century. And the only way to effectively defy these challenges is to have a powerful statehood and build an Armenia ready to face security threats.
Yes, we must spare no effort to achieve a lasting peace in the region, to resolve all disputes and conflicts on the basis of mutual respect by means of negotiations and through peaceful means. Bu...
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