Journal of Turkish Weekly
April 27 2005

`Armenian Reply is Full of Tricks’

The Armenian Head of State Robert Kocharyan has responded to a letter
from the Turkish Prime Minister calling for a joint committee to
study the issue of the so-called genocide.^

Ankara says it is wary of the wording of the offer, which leaves many
issues not addressed.

The letter said that Armenia was ready to establish relations with
Ankara without any conditions, however Armenian leader implies many
conditions and tricks.

`Let us firstly set up relations, Kocharyan’s letter read. `We can
later take into account various matters in an inter-governmental
committee.’ However, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the
letter of the Armenian Head of State was full of tricks of
terminology and that Ankara was cautious over establishing relations
without having settling the issue of the alleged genocide.

Armenian Government tries to establish diplomatic relations before
any commission. But Turkey says Armenian forces must be withdrawn
from Karabakh and Armenia must publicly recognize Turkey’s national
borders for diplomatic relations. Armenian forces have occupied 20
percent of Azerbaijani territories and Yerevan rejected all calls
from Turkey, US and the EU to end occupation.