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ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: FOR HISTORIANS AND EXPERTS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THE FACT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS SETTLED
Regnum, Russia
Dec 19 2007
Turkey does not want to accept Armenia's position or is trying to
misinterpret it, said Armenia's Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
while speaking at hearings at the Armenian parliament about problems
and prospects of the Armenia-Turkey relations, a REGNUM correspondent
informs.
According to him, the Turkish approach is to raise all debated issues,
to receive an answer that suits Turkey and only after that to restore
the diplomatic relations and open the border that was closed by Ankara
one-sidedly in early 1990s. "Show to me two neighboring country in
Europe that have no debated issues and problems, but none of them
resorts to closing borders," Oskanyan noted.
After listing all pre-conditions for Turkey to establish the relations
with Armenia, the foreign minister noted that up to 1998, when the
position of the authorities was relatively mild, Turkey was focusing
upon one of the pre-conditions - settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. After leadership changed in Armenia, the situation became
more complicated and Turkey started insisting upon all the three
point equally.
The minister stressed that from the point of view of the international
law, the Turkish pre-conditions stand no criticism. The question of
NKR is a problem of Azerbaijan and the Nagorno Karabakh Republic;
in this connection, Turkey's interference and its attempt to make
the relations with Armenia upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has no
grounds. Moreover, there are some contradictions taking into account
the Cyprus problem as well as the Treaty of Kars and the Moscow Treaty
that are still in force de jure, believes Oskanyan.
The second pre-condition is recognition of Turkey' border by Armenia,
the minister noted, adding that if Turkey really wants to settle the
issue, it must establish diplomatic relations that automatically
mean mutual recognition of borderlines and non-interference into
each other's domestic affairs and so on. Speaking on Ankara's claim
to forget about a possibility of Turkey recognizing the Armenian
Genocide and let historians discuss the issue, Oskanyan noted that
for historians of not only Armenian origin and international experts
in genocide issues the question has been settled long time ago.
Moreover, until Article 301 of the Turkish constitution prohibiting
mentioning of the Armenian Genocide exists, discussions and objectivity
of Turkish historians still remains an open question.
Recently, Oskanyan noted, claims for hampering activity of the Armenian
Diaspora in seeking worldwide recognition of the Armenian Genocide
and its discussion at parliaments of other nations. However, noted
the foreign minister, it is internal affair of each country whether
to recognize or not the Armenian Genocide; Armenia does not meddle
in the issue.
Members of international organizations and Armenian political parties
are participating in the hearings. Representatives from Turkey declined
to participate in the hearings.
Regnum, Russia
Dec 19 2007
Turkey does not want to accept Armenia's position or is trying to
misinterpret it, said Armenia's Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
while speaking at hearings at the Armenian parliament about problems
and prospects of the Armenia-Turkey relations, a REGNUM correspondent
informs.
According to him, the Turkish approach is to raise all debated issues,
to receive an answer that suits Turkey and only after that to restore
the diplomatic relations and open the border that was closed by Ankara
one-sidedly in early 1990s. "Show to me two neighboring country in
Europe that have no debated issues and problems, but none of them
resorts to closing borders," Oskanyan noted.
After listing all pre-conditions for Turkey to establish the relations
with Armenia, the foreign minister noted that up to 1998, when the
position of the authorities was relatively mild, Turkey was focusing
upon one of the pre-conditions - settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. After leadership changed in Armenia, the situation became
more complicated and Turkey started insisting upon all the three
point equally.
The minister stressed that from the point of view of the international
law, the Turkish pre-conditions stand no criticism. The question of
NKR is a problem of Azerbaijan and the Nagorno Karabakh Republic;
in this connection, Turkey's interference and its attempt to make
the relations with Armenia upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has no
grounds. Moreover, there are some contradictions taking into account
the Cyprus problem as well as the Treaty of Kars and the Moscow Treaty
that are still in force de jure, believes Oskanyan.
The second pre-condition is recognition of Turkey' border by Armenia,
the minister noted, adding that if Turkey really wants to settle the
issue, it must establish diplomatic relations that automatically
mean mutual recognition of borderlines and non-interference into
each other's domestic affairs and so on. Speaking on Ankara's claim
to forget about a possibility of Turkey recognizing the Armenian
Genocide and let historians discuss the issue, Oskanyan noted that
for historians of not only Armenian origin and international experts
in genocide issues the question has been settled long time ago.
Moreover, until Article 301 of the Turkish constitution prohibiting
mentioning of the Armenian Genocide exists, discussions and objectivity
of Turkish historians still remains an open question.
Recently, Oskanyan noted, claims for hampering activity of the Armenian
Diaspora in seeking worldwide recognition of the Armenian Genocide
and its discussion at parliaments of other nations. However, noted
the foreign minister, it is internal affair of each country whether
to recognize or not the Armenian Genocide; Armenia does not meddle
in the issue.
Members of international organizations and Armenian political parties
are participating in the hearings. Representatives from Turkey declined
to participate in the hearings.