The Turks are openly speaking today of the restoration of the Ottoman Empire. Of course, they wish to do so with a different sort of packaging; however, it is essentially not a different thing. And this is not simply a case of mere discussions, but there is in fact a clear state policy that is being planned and implemented. If Lenin once referred to the Russian Empire as a "prison of peoples", then the Ottoman Empire can certainly be called an "abattoir of peoples". The discussions are about restoring that very slaughterhouse.

There has been no other state in the world – at least for the past five hundred years – where people of minority ethnicities or religions have been subject to such diverse forms of discrimination, ruthless massacres, and, ultimately, unprecedented genocide, all at the level of the state and national legislation.

Can you imagine what would occur if the Germans spoke of restoring the Third Reich or its influence? And we remained and are remaining silent when it comes to similar calls by the Turks, instead of protesting against it at every available political opportunity as a people and state that has been subject to genocide and national dispossession by that very empire and its successor state.

Perhaps our expectation is that the Turks will repay our reticence with gratitude: a blissful naïveté, which can only be borne by one who does not know the Turks. Is it not clear enough already that the restoration of the Ottoman Empire, regardless of how such a thing would manifest itself, would imply the end of the Republic of Armenia?

A few days ago, in response to a simple question by a school student on future borders of Armenia, Serge Sargsyan gave quite a mild, very general, and, I would even say an evasive answer. What is more, he essentially said that he himself had no intention of presenting any demands to Turkey, as he considered the work of his own generation at an end. He did not say that, as President of the Republic of Armenia, he will do all in his power to end the illegal occupation by Turkey of the rightful territories – I repeat, those rightful territories, and not some abstract Armenian lands – of the Republic of Armenia.

This incident would probably have gone unnoticed if there were not such a clamour raised by Turkey in turn. And what is Turkey's intention in this case? I believe it is yet another attempt at receiving assurances from Armenia (that have already been once laid out in those protocols), that Armenia has no demands from Turkey, that is, yet another act of humiliating Armenia in international circles through the means of denial.

Turkey's conduct today is also informed by the secret of the infamous Armenia-Turkey protocols. Many ask, why would Turkey have pursued having those protocols signed, if it was already known that they would not be ratified? But what kind of a question is that, if they did not serve to publicly humiliate the Armenian state? Turkey showcased to the world that the Armenians are ready to go to almost any length – to deny everything – in order to establish relations.

This as a practical matter. And as far as the more far-reaching matters go, the intentions of Turkey are much more dangerous. The Turks desire to deprive the Armenians of even the right to dream. The Turks have deprived us of almost everything, and now they wish to imprison our spirits and shackle our minds.

If a nation lets go of its capacity to dream, then it is rendered into a consumer-driven marketplace. Dreaming, even dreaming of things that seem impossible, is the salt of the spirit of a nation, which preserves the nation from decay.

Ara Papian
Head of the Modus Vivendi Centre
27 July, 2011