DO KURDS MAKE TERRITORIAL CLAIMS ON ARMENIA?
Leaders of Kurdish community of America make irresponsible calls.
The issue of the possiblity of creation of an independent Kurdish state, which raised on the eve of the Iraq war, is withdrawn from the agenda. Leaders of the Iraqi Kurdistan, which, in fact, is an autonomous state for the last 12 year, gave up the intention to prclaim souvereignty. The Democratic party of Kurdistan and the Patriotical Union, controlling the Northern provinces of the country, together with Arabs and Turkmens joined the process of formation of the ''new Iraq''. However, certain circles of Kurdish diaspora up to now raise the issue of the necessity of a centralised state to unite those regions of Iraq, Turkey and some other states that are populated with Kurds.
It is interesting that Armenia every now and then is being mentioned among the countries to which the Kurds make territorial claims. Before the end of the war in Iraq, there was information in the world press that leaders of Kurdish community of America stated their decisiveness to have their own state on the territories covering the North of Iraq, South-East of Turkey, north-west of Iran, East of Syria, as well as some regions of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Nobody paid attention to this very provocative statement. Recently a certain Partoumakha, an American scientist of Kurdish origins made a similar statement. He published an article in the “Herald Online” network publication urging the world community to return to the Sevre agreement, which assumed the possibility of creation of a Kurdish state on the ruins of Ottoman Empire. It is evident that the scientist specializing in radiology is a dilettante in history. Otherwise, he would never state that the “lands of the Kurdish state foreseen by the Sevre agreement where divided between Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Armenia and Azerbaijan”.
No need to be a historian to know that the Sevre agreement signed in 1920 by the Ottoman Empire after it was defeated in the First World War, was foreseeing the possibility of creation of Kurdish state in the North of Mesopotamia, which passed under the protectorate of Britain. However, the Sevre agreement, which was very important both for Armenians and for the Kurds, was not fulfilled. Five years later, at the Lausanne conference, it was decided to include Kurdistan in the territory of Iraq. Regarding the lands situated north from Mosul, the Antanta countries as well as the legal government of the defeated Ottoman Empire have recognized their belonging to Armenia. Besides, according to the Sevre agreement, vilayats of Van, Bitlis, Erzrum, Trapson, should have been passed to Armenia.
Nobody has forgotten the negative role which some Kurdish sheikhs played during the Genocide of Armenians. They became a blind arm in the hands of young Turks. Fortunately, it has not influenced the rather warm relations between Armenians and Kurds up to now living in Armenia. The provocative statements of American Kurds, probably, have become an unpleasant surprise for the leaders of 42 thousand Ezidi community of Armenia who enjoy the care of the government and have everything necessary for maintenance and development of the national culture.
No need to be a historian to know that the Sevre agreement signed in 1920 by the Ottoman Empire after it was defeated in the First World War, was foreseeing the possibility of creation of Kurdish state in the North of Mesopotamia, which passed under the protectorate of Britain. However, the Sevre agreement, which was very important both for Armenians and for the Kurds, was not fulfilled. Five years later, at the Lausanne conference, it was decided to include Kurdistan in the territory of Iraq. Regarding the lands situated north from Mosul, the Antanta countries as well as the legal government of the defeated Ottoman Empire have recognized their belonging to Armenia. Besides, according to the Sevre agreement, vilayats of Van, Bitlis, Erzrum, Trapson, should have been passed to Armenia.
Nobody has forgotten the negative role which some Kurdish sheikhs played during the Genocide of Armenians. They became a blind arm in the hands of young Turks. Fortunately, it has not influenced the rather warm relations between Armenians and Kurds up to now living in Armenia. The provocative statements of American Kurds, probably, have become an unpleasant surprise for the leaders of 42 thousand Ezidi community of Armenia who enjoy the care of the government and have everything necessary for maintenance and development of the national culture.
