What Joe Biden did on April 24, 2021 by recognizing the massacre of Armenians during the World War I as genocide sent shock waves across the US military establishment and Turkey? The template has irreversibly changed from Pro-Turkey to Anti-Turkey and this cannot be an isolated event. There is quite a lot of intrigue, in geoeconomics.
During the post-World War I negotiations held first in Sevres, France in 1920 and subsequently in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1924 the United States played a balancing role. Most of the harsh and brutal conditions imposed on Ottoman Empire by Sevres were resisted by Turkey led by Kamal Ataturk forcing the Allies to revise and moderate terms in a new agreement in Lausanne. The United States although an observer took a supportive role towards the aggrieved Turkey. In fact US Admiral Mark Bristol even sized up with the Allies to soften the terms of agreement to help turkey.
Finally, the Lausanne agreement was entered into by seven countries namely, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Greece, Rumania, Yugoslavia and Japan on one part and Turkey on the other part. The agreement became effective on August 6, 1924.
Under the terms of Agreement, Ottomans have to cede their possessions including Cyprus, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the Levant which consisted of Palestine and Saudi Arabia. The custodianship of the Holy places in Mecca and Medina was also relinquished.
The moot point was that Lausanne Agreement specifically excluded claims for reparation for massacres and atrocities committed by both Ottoman Empire and the Allies, particularly in the theatres in Balkans, Greece and Anatolia. This exclusion also covers killings of Armenians who were caught unfortunately in the web of war.
Any international agreement where expiry date is not mentioned automatically expires after 99 years as per international law and practice. Lausanne Agreement, therefore is chalked to expire on August 5, 2023.
By recognizing massacre of Armenians as Genocide US positions itself to champion the cause of Armenian Americans who seek war reparations from the present day Turkey. To be fair, war reparation cannot be one sided affair. If the US position is to favour Armenians then it must seek reparation from the Allies who also committed massacre and ethnic cleansing of Turkish Muslims numbering more than two million.
What was placed in cold storage as regards to compensation would be brought to fore and US be certainly trapped in geoeconomics of losing Turkey as an ally forever and boot up the bill of Allies by delving deep into her treasury to recompense Turkey.
Cheers!
Muthu
Ashraff Rajulu
Business Strategist
Mobile: + 94 777 265677
E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com
Blog: Business Strategist
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