Armenian minister accuses Turkey of failure to show tolerance to genocide
issue

Mediamax news agency
13 Apr 05

YEREVAN

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has expressed indignation at
the fact that “in the run-up to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
genocide, Turkey has failed to take a tolerant position, and moreover,
is trying to ‘counterattack'”.

Speaking at a briefing in Yerevan today, the Armenian foreign minister
said that “Turkey is trying not only to brazenly rewrite its own
history but also wants to convince other countries”. This is how
Vardan Oskanyan commented on Ankara’s intention to appeal to the
British government to proclaim as not corresponding to reality the
facts presented in the so called Blue Book which was written back in
1916 and which serves as a main source of information on the Armenian
genocide.

“I am sure that this policy will boomerang against the Turkish
authorities,” Vardan Oskanyan said, stressing that these actions of
Ankara “are only strengthening our determination to achieve
international recognition of the Armenian genocide”.

The Armenian foreign minister expressed confidence that the issue of
recognition of the Armenian genocide will be on the agenda of the
talks on Turkey’s admission to the European Union, which will start in
October. “This issue may not become an official precondition,
nevertheless, beyond all doubt it will be touched on during the
talks,” Vardan Oskanyan said.

The Armenian foreign minister said that Yerevan views the issue of
recognition of the Armenian genocide in the context of ensuring
Armenia’s security.

“Unless this country, which has major military potential and occupies
an openly pro-Azerbaijani position in the settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, recognizes the Armenian genocide, we cannot trust
it and feel secure,” Vardan Oskanyan said.