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THE ARF-DASHNAKTSUTYUN DECLINES TO ATTEND...
yerkir.am
17:26 - 14.03.2011
On March 10, Mr Vahan Hovhannesyan, ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Bureau member
and leader of the ARF-D parliamentary faction, received an invitation
to participate in the Wilton Park Conference on "Turkey's policies for
engagement in the contemporary world." The March 24-27 conference,
Wilton Park's third in Turkey, will take place in Istanbul, in
cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is
scheduled to be opened by Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu. In his
response on March 11, Vahan Hovhannesyan writes: "Regretfully, I have
to decline this invitation because we do not attend any meetings
organized by or in cooperation with the government of Turkey or
attended by Turkish officials, because Turkey denies the fact of the
Armenian Genocide and refuses to accept responsibility for it. I am
certain Turkey's Foreign Minister would appreciate this principled
position." [1] The ARF-D Bureau member goes on to say: "We are in
favor of dialogue and for Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. However,
we have witnessed how Turkey has abused the sincere goodwill gesture
by Armenia; it refuses to lift the unilateral and illegal blockade of
Armenia, and continues its biased attitude towards the Mountainous
Karabakh issue. Hence, we do not wish to provide Turkey with any
further levers for its machinations and deceitful conduct."
Hovhannesyan concludes his letter by once again thanking the Wilton
Park for the invitation and expressing his anticipation "to participate
in other Wilton Park conferences or initiatives with genuine civil
society participants." On this occasion, responding to an ARF-D Press
Office reporter's question, Vahan Hovhannesyan said: "This invitation
is part of Turkey's recently publicized policy, which aims on the
one hand to show to the West that it is supposedly in a dialogue
with Armenia and Armenians, and on the other hand to try and divide
the Armenian side, by attempting to have bogus dialogue with separate
circles of society in Armenia and in the Diaspora. The Dashnaktsutyun
is well aware of this Turkish conduct and refuses to succumb to its
provocations, especially when Turkey continues its hostile policy
towards Armenia and prosecutes those who are genuinely in favour of
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. We all need to be vigilant and to
ensure Turkey's policy fails through a united stance."
[1] Recently, Davutoglu is refusing to attaned any meetings attended
by Israeli officials because of Israel's refusal to apologize for
the attack on a Turkish ship last May 31.
From: A. Papazian
yerkir.am
17:26 - 14.03.2011
On March 10, Mr Vahan Hovhannesyan, ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Bureau member
and leader of the ARF-D parliamentary faction, received an invitation
to participate in the Wilton Park Conference on "Turkey's policies for
engagement in the contemporary world." The March 24-27 conference,
Wilton Park's third in Turkey, will take place in Istanbul, in
cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is
scheduled to be opened by Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu. In his
response on March 11, Vahan Hovhannesyan writes: "Regretfully, I have
to decline this invitation because we do not attend any meetings
organized by or in cooperation with the government of Turkey or
attended by Turkish officials, because Turkey denies the fact of the
Armenian Genocide and refuses to accept responsibility for it. I am
certain Turkey's Foreign Minister would appreciate this principled
position." [1] The ARF-D Bureau member goes on to say: "We are in
favor of dialogue and for Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. However,
we have witnessed how Turkey has abused the sincere goodwill gesture
by Armenia; it refuses to lift the unilateral and illegal blockade of
Armenia, and continues its biased attitude towards the Mountainous
Karabakh issue. Hence, we do not wish to provide Turkey with any
further levers for its machinations and deceitful conduct."
Hovhannesyan concludes his letter by once again thanking the Wilton
Park for the invitation and expressing his anticipation "to participate
in other Wilton Park conferences or initiatives with genuine civil
society participants." On this occasion, responding to an ARF-D Press
Office reporter's question, Vahan Hovhannesyan said: "This invitation
is part of Turkey's recently publicized policy, which aims on the
one hand to show to the West that it is supposedly in a dialogue
with Armenia and Armenians, and on the other hand to try and divide
the Armenian side, by attempting to have bogus dialogue with separate
circles of society in Armenia and in the Diaspora. The Dashnaktsutyun
is well aware of this Turkish conduct and refuses to succumb to its
provocations, especially when Turkey continues its hostile policy
towards Armenia and prosecutes those who are genuinely in favour of
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. We all need to be vigilant and to
ensure Turkey's policy fails through a united stance."
[1] Recently, Davutoglu is refusing to attaned any meetings attended
by Israeli officials because of Israel's refusal to apologize for
the attack on a Turkish ship last May 31.
From: A. Papazian