Ex-aid says Europe uses Armenian “genocide” to bar Turkey from EU

Mediamax news agency
21 Apr 05

Yerevan, 21 April: The former adviser to the Armenian ex-President
Levon Ter- Petrosyan, Zhirayr Liparidyan, is concerned that “the issue
of the Armenian genocide has been turned into a political toy in the
hands of the world powers”.

“Leading world powers have been using this issue as a leverage
in their relations with Armenia and Turkey” for the past decade,
Zhirayr Liparidyan said today. In Liparidyan’s opinion, “the issue of
recognition of the Armenian genocide is being used to prevent Turkey
from entering the EU, but it will sink into oblivion tomorrow”.

“The Armenian genocide was the result of the European imperialism
policy,” Liparidyan said. “Responsibility for the Armenian genocide
also lies with the European countries and they have to admit this,”
he said.