The Sevres peace treaty was presented to the Turkish delegation at 16:00 on May 11, 1920, in Paris, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Armenian delegation was present at the ceremony as well since the new Armenian state was one of the parties in the treaty and wasrecognized as a sovereign and independent state.
The treaty prepared during the Conference of London in February 1920 and concluded at the San Remo Conference in April 1920 was sent for signing to the Ottoman Empire on May 11, 1920.
The conditions that the Allies transferred to Turkey through Mr. Alexandre Millerand were known in advance. They were harsh but appropriate, and they could have been even harsher since there was an initiative to take away Constantinople from the Turks and thus move their government residence to Asia.
All this would have been a small atonement for their sins against Armenians and other Christian peoples in the years of the Armenian Genocide. The Entente characterized these events as new crimes against humanity and civilization that Turkey had been cold-bloodedly committing during the previous twenty years.
Mr. Millerand presided over the ceremony. Mr. de Fucier, the head of the protocol group, introduced the delegates of the Ottoman Empire. On behalf of the Allies, Mr. Millerand passed them a draft treaty. The Ottomans were told that negotiations would take place in writing and that the Ottoman government would have one month to report on its observations.
Tevfik Pasha, trembling after receiving the document, said a few words with unrest in his voice.
Le Centenaire de la Conférence de San Remo
CENTENAIRE DU TRAITÉ DE SÈVRES
LES CONDITIONS DE CONSTITUTION ET DE RECONNAISSANCE DE L’ETAT ARMENIEN D’ARMENIE OCCIDENTALE
