YEREVAN. - Former Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan on Sunday issued a statement on the occasion of the Day of the First Republic of Armenia.

The statement reads as follows:“There has been no long-lasting period in the Armenian history during which the existence of our ancient state, the peace and security of our people would not be endangered. For centuries we have struggled for existence, for our homeland and our right to live freely and independently.

We lost, when instead of uniting the forces of our nation we relied on others’ judgment, expecting justice. And we won when we did not ask for but conquered our freedom, defeating the enemy, standing side by side, shoulder by shoulder, being one fist, one heart and one spirit.

The heroic battles of Sardarapat, Baş-Aparan, Gharakilisa are also indicative of the invincible force of the Armenian spirit. The Armenian people—not yet recovered from the fresh and bloody wounds of the Genocide, beaten and deprived—took arms and went against the Turkish regular military units, which had entered Alexandropoulos on May 15 and were moving in two groups towards Aparan, Gharakilisa and Sardarapat, as well as towards Yerevan, the heart of Armenia and all Armenians. DEATH OR FREEDOM—this was the imperative of the day. And in the violent battles the Armenian people conquered their freedom, killing the enemy.

“On May 28, the Armenian National Council operating in Tbilisi declared Armenia as an independent state and took up the responsibility of the leadership. On May 29, the bloodless remnants of the Turkish division showed a white flag. […]

Dear compatriots,

Let us thus believe in the strength of our gene, let us love and defend each other and our homeland, becoming the guarantee of newly-independent Armenian states and the eternity of our people.”