The Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Issues Statement on Negotiations with Turkey

The Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation has issued a statement on the 100th anniversary of the March 16, 1921 Treaty of Moscow between Russia and Turkey, which is presented below.

“Dear compatriots,
We are approaching the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Moscow on March 16, 1921, which had catastrophic significance for our state and people. As a result of this treaty, Armenia was forced to renounce a significant part of Eastern Armenia, including from the provinces of Kars, Surmalu, Nakhchivan, and others.

This infamous treaty was signed in gross violation of international law, which nullifies its legal validity. Firstly, the parties to the treaty—the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey—were not subjects of international law. Secondly, the parties to the treaty made decisions concerning the territories of a third country, Armenia, which was not a party to the treaty; according to international law, treaties can only pertain to the parties that sign them and cannot create rights and obligations for non-signatory parties. Therefore, the parts of the treaty concerning Armenia cannot have any legal relevance.

Furthermore, the Treaty of Kars signed on October 13, 1921, which replicated provisions of the Moscow Treaty concerning Armenia, also does not constitute part of international law, as it stemmed from the provisions of the Moscow Treaty. It is important to note that Armenia was forced to renounce sovereign territories of the First Republic of Armenia, which had been occupied due to Turkish aggression in the autumn of 1920.

The ongoing volatile geopolitical situation and existing contradictions in state relations, territorial disputes, and ethnic conflicts in the South Caucasus underscore that the 1921 Moscow Treaty, with its illegal nature, is incapable of ensuring stable peace and secure coexistence in this region.

This treaty, marked by its explicit anti-Armenianism, poses a threat to the existence of Armenia and the Armenian people, as witnessed months ago when under the outright sponsorship of Turkey, Azerbaijan unleashed another large-scale aggression against the Republic of Artsakh, occupying a significant part of its territory. Since then, the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem has openly expressed ambitions towards the Republic of Armenia.

The Moscow Treaty not only failed to deter Turkey's pan-Turkic and expansionist plans towards the east and its incursions into the Middle East but also provided an opportunity for Turkey to take a tactical pause and, at an opportune moment, implement these plans with reorganized forces, destabilizing international relations and turning into an active threat to the international security system.

The Bureau of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation draws the attention of the international community to the necessity of establishing lasting peace in the South Caucasus and the surrounding regions through the signing of a new international and legal treaty that, with effective international guarantees and considering the legitimate interests of all nations and states, along with just delimitation, can close the chapter of bloody wars that have spanned centuries in this region.

Due to the current internal political situation in the Republic of Armenia, the Bureau of the ARF postpones the schedule of domestic and international events planned for the 100th anniversary of the Moscow and Kars treaties until October 21, 2021.

During this time, the global network of the ARF, its Justice Committees, and offices will carry out political and relational activities on the issues at hand. Specifically, this statement will be addressed by the Central Office of the ARF's Justice Committee to the international political organizations to which the ARF belongs, as well as to a number of embassies accredited in Armenia.

We also find it necessary to strongly warn the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, which have lost legitimacy and ceded a significant portion of the homeland to the enemy, against entering into negotiations with the Republic of Turkey that may imply the recognition of the provisions of the Moscow Treaty or the Kars Treaty derived from it by the Republic of Armenia, which has been the objective of the Turkish state for 100 years. It is important to remind that neither the Moscow nor the Kars treaties have been recognized by the Republic of Armenia; they were not even recognized by Soviet Armenia when the opportunity existed to express its own will.

We are confident that through the united efforts of our people, with a strong Armenia and a united society, we will gradually reclaim our violated rights and restore national dignity.”