On December 18, the RA Ministry of Diaspora launched the conference on “The Denial of the Armenian Genocide in the Context of the Neo-Ottomanism Ideology” at the round sessions hall of the chairmanship of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA).

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan gave her opening remarks at the event.

“When we were planning this conference last year, we couldn’t even predict these sharp changes taking place in the world today. In the midst of the current global, regional and domestic challenges, Armenia’s problems are becoming important topics for study and discussion,” Hranush Hakobyan mentioned.

Talking about Neo-Ottomanism, the minister also touched upon the discrepancies in Turkey’s policy. According to the minister, while Turkey talks about zero problems with neighbors and the establishment of multilateral relations, it does the opposite, that is, it creates problems. “The closed border is also evidence of the discrepancies between Turkey’s policy and the country’s working style. Today, more than ever, we are witnessing renunciation, as well as denial and falsification of the Armenian Genocide. This is the difference between Turkey’s words and actions,” Hranush Hakobyan added.

In his speech, academician-secretary of the Armenian Studies and Social Sciences Section of the NAS RA Yuri Suvaryan mentioned that mechanisms for stating claims and making the transition from recognition to reparations need to be developed in order to prevent denial of the Armenian Genocide. “We can’t have what we lost returned to us, but the land issue is a different issue.. We can and we must develop mechanisms to have them returned to us,” Yuri Suvaryan added.

In his speech, RA Deputy Minister of Justice Vigen Kocharyan attached importance to coordinated efforts in all sectors and mentioned that one of the ways of doing that is to hold conferences like the one being held today.

The speeches were followed by the first session, which was moderated by Head of the Chair of Turkish Studies at Yerevan State University Alexander Safaryan.

Let us add that well-known scholars, academicians and Turkologists will present their extensive studies during the conference.