Diplomats urge unity for justice on Genocide anniversary

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Pan-Armenian Council of Diplomats has issued a statement in connection with April 24, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, emphasizing the urgency of raising voices for justice and against denial.

“On April 24, Armenians around the world honor the memory of 1.5 million victims of the first genocide of the 20th century, laying flowers at memorials dedicated to the Armenian Genocide victims,” the statement reads.

The oath “I remember and demand” takes on greater meaning this year, marking the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, at a time when the Armenian nation faces policies of denial and distortion once thought unimaginable — including from current Armenian authorities seeking reconciliation with a long-standing enemy under the illusion of peace.

The Council recalls that the genocide — a systematic campaign by Ottoman Turkey to eradicate the Armenian population from its ancestral homeland — reached its peak in 1915 and continued through 1923. The civilized world witnessed the massacre, displacement, and cultural destruction of an entire people, often remaining silent for reasons of political expediency.

The statement notes that over the past six decades, considerable efforts have been made to present this crime against humanity to the international community.

“Never again” has become a guiding principle for many nations and public figures committed to the recognition, condemnation, and prevention of the Armenian Genocide. This includes strong opposition to denial, which is considered the final stage of genocide.

The Council criticizes Turkey’s long-standing denialist policy, coupled with historical falsifications and efforts to delegitimize Armenian demands. These actions, it says, make Turkey a direct accomplice to the century-old crime.

The statement warns that the policies of modern Turkey — including its neo-Ottoman and pan-Turkic aspirations — present new existential threats to Armenians. These threats are evident in historical atrocities like the Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku massacres, as well as recent wars, blockades, and forced displacements in Artsakh.

It stresses that Armenians face existential threats that are not solely external.

“Today, the Armenian people's struggle spans broader dimensions. On the 110th anniversary of the Genocide, we are confronted by unprecedented threats — existential risks to Armenia, deepening security challenges, and actions aimed at eroding our national identity, driven in part by those currently in power.”

The Council argues that attempts to normalize relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan without a foundation of truth and justice are not only illusory but dangerous — jeopardizing both the present and future.

It warns that building “normal” relations at the cost of distorting history, ignoring the suffering of millions, and dismissing the rights of heirs to the victims is a shortsighted and perilous policy. Such a path, it stresses, cannot lead to justice, reconciliation, or regional peace.

The statement concludes that any attempt to deny or question the reality and scale of the Armenian Genocide, even through vague language, is an assault on Armenian history, memory, identity, and dignity — and thus on Armenian statehood. These acts are criminal and must be unequivocally condemned.

“As we jointly honor the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims on April 24, we must raise our firm voice for justice and oppose any attempt to deny or distort the greatest tragedy in Armenian history.

We call on all to continue the struggle for justice, and for the right of the Armenian nation to live in its homeland.”