GLENDALE–The Hunger Strikers on Friday delivered a letter to the Armenian Consulate, requesting it be forwarded to Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian. The letter called on Sarkisian “to heed the voice of the Armenian people and refrain from signing these dangerous protocols,” which are set to receive their first endorsement by the Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministers Saturday in Zurich.

Below is the text of the letter:

Dear President Sargsyan, 

We write to you as a group of over 35 Armenian youth who have gone without food and shelter for over 72 hours in front of the Armenian Consulate of Los Angeles. We have chosen to carry out this hunger strike in the name of all those Armenians who have sacrificed and struggled throughout the years for the Armenian Cause—a Cause which is being put under jeopardy through the proposed signing of the Armenia-Turkey Protocols. 

As the descendents of Genocide survivors, we cannot allow the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide to be put into question through the creation of a so-called historical commission. We find such an initiative to be another tool for Turkey to use in its age-old campaign to distort and deny the veracity of the Armenian Genocide. 

As Armenians, we cannot stay silent as your administration goes against the will of the majority of our people worldwide who have demonstrated their opposition to these flawed and one-sided documents. We will not stand idly by as the voice of our nation is silenced and made a mockery of through empty gestures and a facade of “consultation.” 

As human beings, we stand for peace and friendly relations between all peoples. However, such relations—in order to be sustainable—must be based on truth and justice. Rather than developing normal ties without preconditions, these protocols are nothing more than the imposition of Turkey’s long-held demands against Armenia after 16 years of an illegal blockade. We find such an agreement to be detrimental for both Armenia’s statehood and true peace between the two nations. 

As youth, we know the Armenian people have lasted throughout the years through sacrifice and struggle. The world’s eyes were opened up to the reality of the Armenian Genocide through years of relentless struggle; Artsakh was liberated through the sacrifice of thousands of our best men and women; and the dream of a free, independent, and united Armenia was kept alive through the perseverance of our people. We cannot let the fruits of this struggle be signed away at the stroke of a pen. 

Today, the Armenian youth respectfully call on your government to heed the voice of the Armenian people and refrain from signing these dangerous protocols. We call on you to reject the harmful provisions imposed by Turkey in this agreement and halt this process until Ankara is prepared to lift its blockade and truly normalize relations without preconditions. 

“Hunger for Justice” Campaign