TURKEY HAS NOT MATURED FOR NEGOTIATION ON MEMBERSHIP TO EU,
VARDAN OSKANIAN SAYS

YEREVAN, APRIL 20. ARMINFO. The process of negotiations of Turkey
on accession to the European Union may result in the development of
Armenian-TUrkish relations. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic
of Armenia Vardan Oskanian stated in the interview to German newspaper
“Die Welt”.

According to him, in particular, it concerns the opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border and recognition of the Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Turkey. But in fact the EU intends to conduct negotiations
on the membership with a state, which for over ten years blockades
the border with Armenia and lays unacceptable conditions for its
releasing. “Compared with other candidates for accession to EU, Turkey
has not matured for these negotiations”, Oskanian said. Nevertheless,
the minister expressed anxiety that in the case with Turkey EU may pass
a political resolution. Speaking of the expectations of Armenia from
official Brussels, Vardan Oskanian stated: “We hope that the European
will inform Turkey of the necessity of that the first genocide of
the 20th century must be admitted officially”.

Estimating the readiness of Turkey to admit the Armenian genocide,
Oskanian mentioned that the matter concerns the factor of the Turkish
internal policy. The first sign of the public estimation of Armenian
Genocide is that the Turkish intellectuals publicly speak of it and
call on the whole Turkish society, as well as call on the authorities
of their country to undertake the responsibility for this crime. “I
respect the courage of these people, who examine the documents and try
to find a way of reconciliation between the two states”, Oskanian said.