PanArmenian News
Feb 26 2005

KOCHARIAN: TURKISH SOCIETY BROUGHT UP ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL AND
PUBLIC PERCEPTION INERTIA IS HARD TO OVERCOME

26.02.2005 14:03

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “When speaking of the Armenian Genocide the matter
should concern the late 19th -early 20th centuries. The events of
1915 is the biggest and most tragic episode of the Armenian Genocide
in the Ottoman Empire,” President of Armenia Robert Kocharian stated
in an interview with the Golos Armenii newspaper. In his words, for
many decades the Turkish society has been brought up on denial of the
Armenian Genocide and it is extremely hard to overcome the public
perception inertia. “However, Turkey’s urge towards accession to the
EU provides for greater openness of the society, access to
information, opportunity of discussion of complicated issues. These
are exactly the tools by means of which the unbiased evaluation of
one’s history is formed. Nevertheless, I have some cautious
optimism,” he noted, adding that Turkey has activated
“counter-propaganda” efforts regarding the Genocide problems.
“However, I am sure that the outcome will be just the opposite of
their expectations,” R. Kocharian underscored.