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Turkish Parliament Speaker Meets With Armenian Parliament Speaker
Anadolu Agency
May 19 2004
STRASBOURG - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc met on Wednesday
with Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan.
Bagdasaryan expressed Yerevan's will to hold diplomatic relations
with Ankara again.
Diplomatic sources said that Arinc once more expressed Turkey's
expectations from Armenia before holding bilateral diplomatic
relations.
Arinc expressed Turkey's uneasiness about so-called Armenian genocide
and land claims taking place in Armenian constitution and he recalled
that not only Ankara but also the United Nations and international
organizations were expecting Yerevan administration to take positive
steps regarding the solution of Upper Karabakh problem.
Arinc said that if Turkey's sensitivities were taken into consideration
and Armenia took positive steps for the solution of Upper Karabakh
issue, Ankara would welcome this and give necessary reply to Yerevan.
Recalling that Turkey was the country which firstly recognized
Armenia and made the first humanitarian aid to Yerevan, Arinc said
that if Armenia took positive steps, Ankara would start considering
establishment of diplomatic relations.
Arinc will meet with Turkish jurists in European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) within his meetings in Strasbourg.
Arinc has been in Strasbourg for three days to attend the European
Conference of Presidents of Parliaments in which parliament speakers
of Council of Europe (COE) member countries participated. The theme
of the parliamentary summit was ''Europe of citizens: parliaments
and participation of citizens''.
The conference ended today with the last session on ''Co-operation
for more democracy - National Parliaments and European Assemblies.''
Arinc will return to Turkey on Thursday.
Anadolu Agency
May 19 2004
STRASBOURG - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc met on Wednesday
with Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan.
Bagdasaryan expressed Yerevan's will to hold diplomatic relations
with Ankara again.
Diplomatic sources said that Arinc once more expressed Turkey's
expectations from Armenia before holding bilateral diplomatic
relations.
Arinc expressed Turkey's uneasiness about so-called Armenian genocide
and land claims taking place in Armenian constitution and he recalled
that not only Ankara but also the United Nations and international
organizations were expecting Yerevan administration to take positive
steps regarding the solution of Upper Karabakh problem.
Arinc said that if Turkey's sensitivities were taken into consideration
and Armenia took positive steps for the solution of Upper Karabakh
issue, Ankara would welcome this and give necessary reply to Yerevan.
Recalling that Turkey was the country which firstly recognized
Armenia and made the first humanitarian aid to Yerevan, Arinc said
that if Armenia took positive steps, Ankara would start considering
establishment of diplomatic relations.
Arinc will meet with Turkish jurists in European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) within his meetings in Strasbourg.
Arinc has been in Strasbourg for three days to attend the European
Conference of Presidents of Parliaments in which parliament speakers
of Council of Europe (COE) member countries participated. The theme
of the parliamentary summit was ''Europe of citizens: parliaments
and participation of citizens''.
The conference ended today with the last session on ''Co-operation
for more democracy - National Parliaments and European Assemblies.''
Arinc will return to Turkey on Thursday.