Vladimir Lepekhin: By abandoning the concept of Genocide, Pashinyan makes a gift to Erdogan

Speaking with Alpha News, Vladimir Lepekhin, Director of the EAEU Institute, commented on historical remembrance and Turkey’s responsibility for the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

According to the expert, today it is very important and relevant to talk about the Genocide.

“History must always be remembered, because any history is a lesson, and even more so if history causes trauma and these traumas are systemic. Today, it is very important and relevant to talk about the Genocide because, last year, another Genocide of the Armenian people took place. I am talking about Artsakh. All residents of Artsakh were forced to leave their homes. Isn’t this Genocide?

Why replace the word Genocide with such a narrow concept as massacre in relation to what happened in 1915? This means that any other actions of the same Turkey are not defined as Genocide. We need to preserve the memory of the Genocide and, moreover, we need to understand how it resonates with the present and how it can resonate with the future,” Lepekhin said.

According to Lepekhin, Turkey should fully apologize for the Armenian Genocide.

“Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan does not want to take responsibility for what happened to Artsakh, so he is dropping the subject. Pashinyan does not want to talk about the Genocide, because as soon as we talk about the Genocide, the Artsakh residents immediately come to mind. Tomorrow, it may turn out that all Armenians will be forced to leave their native territory. Then they will say that there was no massacre. There may not be a massacre, but now there are different methods. People are humiliated in a variety of ways and forced to make concessions. One does not need to slaughter in the 21st century, but one may create conditions that will make it unbearable for people to live in their native territory.

That’s why the concept of Genocide needs to be preserved. Turkey should fully apologize for this. Moreover, sooner or later, the question around Artsakh will arise, for which Azerbaijan will also have to apologize. Azerbaijan promised a lot to the people of Artsakh, but in the end, they were forced to leave. By abandoning the concept of Genocide, Pashinyan makes a gift to Turkish President Recep Erdogan,” Lepekhin concluded.