Turkish businessman favours economic ties with Armenia

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
14 Feb 05

[Presenter] The co-chairman of the Turkish-Armenian Business
Development Council, Kaan Soyak, is against the proposal that the
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict should be a precondition
for the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. Turkey’s position is
that the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is Azerbaijan’s problem. The
Armenian genocide is also on the agenda of the opening of the
border. Touching upon the Armenian genocide, Soyak said that Turks
have begun speaking of it in the last two or three years. The main
aim of Kaan Soyak’s visit to Yerevan is to discuss a joint programme
on the development of economic relations, which will be implemented
with the assistance of the Eurasia Foundation.

[Correspondent over video of meeting] The Azerbaijani embassy in
Ankara does not like the co-chairman of the Turkish-Armenian Business
Development Council, Kaan Soyak. The reason is that this organization
has been taking a liberal position on Armenia and Turkish-Armenian
relations. As Soyak noted, both sides [Azerbaijan and Turkey] are
against the reopening of the Armenian-Turkish border and want Turkey’s
foreign policy to depend on Azerbaijan. There are failures in the
political field, but the economic sphere is yielding positive results.

[Kaan Soyak speaking in Turkish with Armenian voice-over] The commodity
turnover between Armenia and Turkey is approaching 110-120bn dollars
today. Before the establishment of the Council [in 1997], the commodity
turnover was less than 60m dollars. You have a great diaspora and I
hope that we can cooperate with Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. In
connection with my work, I have participated in Turkish-American,
Turkish-Russian and Turkish-British business meetings, but I must
say that Turkish-Armenian business relations are the best example
of cooperation.

[Correspondent] The Turkish businessman noted that their organization
has prepared a programme on protecting Armenian monuments in Turkey.

Soyak also stated that he is in favour of opening the border as soon
as possible and invited the members of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation – Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD] to Turkey in order to open up
a dialogue on urgent issues. The ARFD is a serious and experienced
party and if they agree, I am ready to make every effort to start
the dialogue, Soyak said.

The Turkish businessman also has a special position on the issue
of genocide.

[Kaan Soyak] Our organization is not dealing with the issue of
genocide, but I believe that the Turkish people has the right to know
the historical truth. Our organization will do its best to make the
historical truth known to the Turkish people.

[Correspondent] Kaan Soyak is making constructive proposals against
the background of Turkey’s policy of denying the genocide.

Ayk-Aram Nahapetyan and Armen Andreasyan, “Aylur”.