Armenian minister chides Turkish premier for remarks on territorial claim

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
8 Feb 05

[Presenter] A seminar on Armenian-Turkish relations was held at the
department of international relations of Yerevan State University
today. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan talked to students
about Armenia’s approach to this issue.

Oskanyan has expressed his attitude towards the latest allegation
of the neighbouring state [Turkey]. Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said that since allegedly Armenia did not recognize
the Kars Treaty, Armenian-Turkish relations had no future. Thus, it
means that Armenia has territorial claims to Turkey. Oskanyan said
that this was yet another attempt to distort the reality.

Armenian diplomats have commented on Erdogan’s statement. Now both the
Armenian and Turkish people and the international community know that
Armenia has not changed its position as regards relations with Turkey.

[Oskanyan] The Turkish prime minister voiced some speculations
recently. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin put forward the issue of
normalizing ties with Armenia at a meeting with him. They discussed
this issue. Asked about the results of this discussion on his return
from Moscow, Erdogan told a news conference that there were several
problems. One of them is that Armenia has territorial claims to
Turkey because it [Armenia] does not recognize the Kars Treaty. I
told him that we are the inheritors of the Soviet Union and that
the decisions made in that period are still valid since we have not
expressed our attitude towards them or replaced them with others. That
was my answer. But this excuse by Erdogan is simply unacceptable.