YEREVAN. – A crime committed against Armenians in the Ottoman Turkey is a fact confirmed by decisions and decrees of the Ottoman leadership and Turkish Courts-Martial of 1919, Russian scholar said.
 
Viktor Nadein-Rayevsky, Senior Fellow at Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of World Economy and International Relations, was a keynote speaker at the “The Caucasus Frontline of the First World War. Genocide, Refugees and Humanitarian Assistance” conference held in Yerevan.

In his report on pan-Turkic spy ring, he said international community and the civil society put an end to the question of who is to blame for Armenian Genocide. However, the Russian scholar stressed that it was done by Europeans, not Turks. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed documents speaks about the scale of the tragedy.

“Whatever Turkey says about the figures and damage to property, over 2.5 settlements, around 2,400 churches, hundreds of Armenians schools, enterprises, estates suddenly lost their owners,” Nadein-Rayevsky, said.

The researcher noted that it is necessary for the Turks to be able to condemn the crime of their ancestors.

“This is important so that once Turkey's understanding of condemnation could come. This is morally difficult for anyone, the Germans went through it, condemning the Holocaust. Let's hope that national courage will prevail in Turkey. It is their future, and the future of Turkish-Armenian relations,” he said.

If  crimes of genocide are not condemned by mankind, they pave the way for future crimes, he concluded.