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On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Sevres Treaty, 10 Armenian parties have issued a joint statement, deeming it necessary to shed fresh light on the possible international impact of the Sevres Peace Treaty.

The statement is signed by Azatutyun (Freedom) Party, Democratic Party of Armenia, National Democratic Union, the Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Armenia Party, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF/Dashnaktsutyun), Yerkir Tsirani Party, Homeland Party, Heritage Party and One Armenia Party.

Below is the full text of the statement published by the ARF press service on Wednesday.

"August 10, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Sevres Treaty. The treaty signed on August 10, 1920 between the victorious Allies of the WWI and Turkey solved a number of troublesome territorial issues, obliging Turkey, as the defeated side of the World War, to recognize the countries getting independent from it and clarify new borders with neighbors.

The Treaty of the Sevres is a document of powerful geopolitical importance aimed at establishing lasting peace in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, in the Balkans. Although further geopolitical developments did not allow the signatory states to ratify the Treaty of Sevres, the treaty nevertheless became the basis for the independence of many states and the delimitation of interstate borders. Therefore we are dealing with an agreement that was partially implemented, mainly not applicable to Armenia. Therefore, we deal with a treaty which was enforced partially, mainly failing to be applied for Armenia.

The section of the treaty referring to Armenia, inter alia, comprehensively refers to the interstate border between Armenia and Turkey.

It should be documented that on November 22 of the same year, the 28th President of the United States Woodrow Wilson, endowed with international mandate and arbitration, approved the Armenia-Turkey border with the Great Seal of the United States and handed over his decision to all state-signatories of the Treaty.

It is noteworthy that even today’s political behavior of Turkey, which leads to the destabilization of international relations and military and political tensions in the neighboring regions, is largely due to non-implementation of the provisions of the Sevres Treaty, including those referring to Armenia.

Consequently, in the background of Turkey’s increasingly aggressive, unpredictable military-political destabilizing actions, even a century later, the principles of regional coexistence of nations, expressed in the Treaty of the Sevres, remain relevant as a guarantee of lasting and fair peace, as well as equal development of nations and states in this part of the world.

Based on the above, as well as the fact that the Pan-Armenian Declaration on the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide emphasizes the role of the Sevres Treaty and Woodrow Wilson’s arbitral award in overcoming the consequences of the Armenian Genocide, we emphasize:

1. The Sevres Treaty is not just a historical fact. It is an international treaty signed between states that exist today (or are their successors), the entering into force of which was suspended as a result of the shift in the military-political situation in the region.
2. International discussions on the Sevres Treaty should be promoted by the academic communities of the Republic of Armenia and the signatory states, and the political circles should demonstrate its importance in the context of the current geopolitical and regional processes.
3. There is no other multilaterally recognized international agreement between Armenia and the Republic of Turkey, which legally resolves the border issue between the two countries.
4. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Sevres Treaty and Arbitral Award of Woodrow Wilson, it is necessary to take political initiative, demonstrating

• The hostile policy of Turkey towards the Republic of Armenia in international relations
Illegal blockade of the Republic of Armenia by Turkey
• Consistent appropriation and destruction of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage for more than a century with the complicity of the Turkish authorities
• Turkey’s aggressive military-political support to Azerbaijan, its un-constructive attempts to be involved in Karabakh conflict, which are often accompanied by war threats
• Destabilization of all neighboring regions of Turkey
• Violation of human rights, including the rights of national-religious minorities in Turkey, authorised by the state.
• Incompatibility of the approaches of the Turkish authorities to the modern political processes and the challenges faced by humanity.

It is necessary for the existing subjects of international law that signed the Treaty of Sevres, as well as those whose subjectivity is conditioned by the treaty, should express a position on the importance of the political and legal will of the states enshrined in the treaty, as well as on the urgency of the issues under the conditions of fair coexistence of nations and its absence.

We, the undersigned parties

Highlight the historical, political and legal mission of the Sevres Peace Treaty for the security and future development of the Republic of Armenia and the entire region,

Deem it necessary to shed fresh light on the possible international impact of the Sevres Treaty

Express our unconditional readiness to participate in this process of great national importance

Call on political organizations and NGOs of the Republic of Armenia to join this initiative."