“Ten days prior to signing the agreement on restoring diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, the influential foreign communities go on record,” the Italian newspaper wrote.
The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan arrives with his entourage, but he is a single person opposed to the entire Diaspora.
For the first time, nine million Armenians scattered all over the world are against him, nine million of powerful people having influence in economy and politics, ” the Italian La Stampa wrote in the article “No” from Armenian Diaspora”.
The newspaper reminds that the sensational statement about restarting diplomatic relations and opening the borders after nearly a century of enmity was made on August 31.
However, the Armenian Diaspora, read the Armenian-Turkish protocols prepared for signing – the result of many months of negotiations – saw no hint of the Armenian Genocide in them.
Therefore, the Diaspora decided not to support the president of their historical homeland this time.
The protocols are expected to be ratified by the parliaments of both countries and signed on October 10 in Zurich.
But four days ago, the French made a petition, demanding to abandon the agreement.
The statement under the heading “Votch”, which means “no” in Armenian, is published on the website http://www.votch.org for everyone to sign. Hundreds of signatures of intellectuals and Armenian people – and not only – from 31 countries have already been collected. A similar petition was made public in Canada.
In such an oppressive atmosphere a tour of the Armenian President kicked off, who, after leaving Paris, will go to New York, Los Angeles, Beirut and Russia. Two Armenians from Italy to arrive to represent Diaspora. Both of them, like all the others, are against ratification of the agreements. “All of us are descendants of one and a half million Armenians brutally killed by the Turks. We demand justice. Modern Turkey must recognize the mistakes of the past,” a spokesman for the European Armenian Federation in Italy Aleko Bezikian said. And what if the Republic of Armenia decides to sign the agreement despite the opinion of dissent? “Then the Diaspora will change its policy. If today the Armenians are able to live with dignity in Armenia, it is only thanks to the help of Diaspora. This is not blackmail – it is reality.”
Meanwhile, the writer Antonia Arslan, author of two novels, calls to the common peace telling the story of her own family fled from the bloodshed: “I would like to see closer look at this with great optimism. The negotiations were long, of course, we can not be sure that we know all the intricacies of what is happening. But I do not think Turkey wants to obstruct their movement toward the West and advancement. And we, the members of Diaspora, may not be able to understand the real conditions of life in Armenia, and to what extent they can improve these conditions thanks to this agreement.
