WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. "The success of Turkey in pressuring Armenia into accepting these humiliating, one-sided protocols proves, sadly, that genocide pays," is said in the statement that Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Ken Hachikian made following the signing of Armenia-Turkey protocols, panarmenian.net reported. "President Obama, rather than honoring his pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide, went in exactly the opposite direction by applying the full force of our nation's diplomacy to twist the arm of a a landlocked and blocaked Armenia ... into accepting a dangerous set of protocols that call into question this very crime against humanity," Ken Hachikian said. "The ANCA and all Armenian Americans will continue our efforts to restore morality to our nation's response to the Armenian Grnocide, and, more broadly, to the cause of genocide prevention. We will also work to prevent Turkey from using this agreement to further its genocide denial campiagn, to undermine the rights of the Armenian nation, and to threaten the freedom of Nagorno Karabakh," is said in the statement. Chairwoman of the European Armenian Federation for Justice Hilda Choboyan said in her statement: "We support the establishment of relations between Armenia and Turkey, but we stand against these protocols as they pose a threat to vitally important interests of Armenia and the Armenian people". The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) expressed concern in connection with the signing of the Armenia-Turkey protocols, noting the signing deprives Armenia of the opportunity to make territorial claims against Turkey. ANCC reminded about the statements made by Turkish officials to the effect that the clause about territorial integrity in the protocols is related to the Karabakh problem. ANCC Chairman Zhirayr Basmajian said that Diaspora and Armenian organizations believe that those who signed the protocols must bear responsibility - in case they will later make any statements or take any steps which will contradict the Armenian president's statement that there are no preconditions in the protocols. In Jerusalem, Georgette Avagian, historian and representative of Hay Dat, said: "Now April 24 and October 10 have become days of mourning for us because today we lost our historical lands, and the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide has turned to dust". According to her, "we have struggled against Turkey for a hundred years, and we will continue to do so". Spokesperson for the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden Vahagn Avedian expressed an opinion that the signing brought discord into Armenia-Diaspora relations. He said the first step that the Diaspora will undertake after the protocols' signing will be to stop financing Armenia. Editor-in-chief of Gibrahayer monthly Simon Aynejian said: "We are not against the normalization of relations, but the point is what price we are going to pay for these relations. I am sure Armenia will pay a high price".

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