This is the English translation of a Turkish language article that was originally published by AVİM on 10 March 2025.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation's (ARF) 35th World Congress gathered on 26 February in Yerevan. The World Congress, the highest assembly of ARF, was attended by delegates representing all regions and organizational bodies of ARF. Issues such as the party's activities in the last three years, Armenia's security situation, internal and external problems, etc. were discussed at the Congress. Additionally, elections for the ARF Bureau, the highest executive body of the organization, were also held.

The statement issued by ARF at the end of the congress has raised some interesting points. It starts off with the explanation "The Armenian Revolutionary Federation's (ARF) 35th World Congress convened at a time of severe geopolitical and internal challenges for the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people, including the occupation of the Republic of Artsakh, the genocide committed in Artsakh, and existential threats against Armenian statehood.".[1] It should be noted for the sake of historical and legal facts that, at the time of its existence, the entity referred to as the "Artsakh Republic" by ARF was located in a territory legally belonging to Azerbaijan, and the existence of the so-called republic was interpreted by the international community as an Armenian occupation. After the Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan emerged victorious and re-established its sovereignty in the occupied region. The so-called republic dissolved itself as a result of Azerbaijan's victory. This situation was recognized by both Armenia and the international community and peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan were initiated.  Therefore, it is not clear what ARF meant by the phrase "occupation of the Republic of Artsakh".

Examining several articles of the statement reveals the following points:

The 1st article states; "Strengthening Armenian statehood, restoring territorial integrity and sovereignty, and building a democratic, legal, and social state in accordance with the spirit and letter of the Declaration of Independence." As we have indicated time and again in our previous commentaries, Armenia's Declaration of Independence includes aims such as the unification of Karabakh with Armenia and the promotion of false genocide allegations to the world.[2] Armenia and Azerbaijan are currently holding negotiation talks for a peace treaty that is expected to be signed in the near future, and Türkiye and Armenia are working on their normalization process. During a sensitive period such as this, the mere act of bringing Armenia's Declaration of Independence to the agenda will inevitably harm the atmosphere of peace and trust that is being formed in the region. In fact, Armenia has also begun efforts to amend its Constitution, which refers to the Declaration of Independence.

The statement's 2nd article writes; "National consolidation around the agenda of Artsakh’s liberation, ensuring the collective return of the Artsakh Armenians and the realization of their fundamental rights through international legal and political guarantees." As mentioned above, Karabakh is recognized as Azerbaijani territory by the international community. Therefore, the statement "National consolidation around the agenda of Artsakh’s liberation" is clearly a claim to the territory of another country, which is completely contrary to the principles of international law.

The 4th article, which closely concerns Türkiye, states; "Pursuing international recognition and reparations for the Armenian Genocide". At a time when Türkiye and Armenia are engaged in ongoing normalization talks, ARF's statement that it will adopt an unfounded allegation as its goal and work for its international recognition constitutes, at the very least, a sabotage effort against peacebuilding.

In conclusion, although ARF's attitude towards Türkiye and Azerbaijan is known, political parties are nevertheless expected to act by prioritizing the interests of their country when setting goals. In a time when the Armenian occupation has ended after the Karabakh War and the negotiations on opening the closed borders with neighboring Türkiye are on the agenda, it is clear that the articles in the ARF declaration are not a step towards attaining peace and prosperity in the region. Rather, they aim to oppose the Armenian government, exacerbate anti-Turkish sentiment, and prevent the normalization of Türkiye-Armenia relations and the signing of the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agreement.