ANSWER OF ANKARA TO LETTER OF ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT MAY BE POSITIVE

YEREVAN, APRIL 27. ARMINFO. The return letter of Armenia’s President
Robert Kocharian to Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan
reached the addressee through the embassy of Turkey in Georgia.

As Turkish newspaper Hurriyet informs, Foreign Minister of Turkey
Abdullah Gul confirmed this information in the airport “Esenboga”,
returning from Luxembourg. “We received this letter, but I have not
got acquainted with it yet. The letter must be examined thoroughly,
afterwards we make a statement”, Abdullah Gul said. As Turkish mass
media inform, now the Foreign Ministry of Turkey is examining the
letter of Armenia’s president, and later it will be addresses to the
prime minister. Press Secretary of Turkey’s Foreign Ministry Namik
Tani will make a statement on the occasion of the letter of Robert
Kocharian. According to diplomatic resources of Turkey, the answer of
Ankara to the letter of the Armenian president may be positive if
official Yerevan recognizes the present borders between Armenia and
Turkey and agree to discuss issues of Armenian Genocide. -S-

It should be noted that Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan
sent a letter to President of Armenia Robert Kocharian with a proposal
to establish a research commission on study of historical facts of the
beginning of the 20th century. In his return letter Robert Kocharian
considered irrelevant the establishment of such a commission,
stressing that the normalization of the bilateral relations is the
task of not the scientists of the two countries, but of the
governments of Armenia and Turkey. In his turn, Robert Kocharian
offered to establish an intergovernmental commission on examination of
the whole spectrum of issues worrying the two countries. Robert
Kocharian against confirmed Armenia’s readiness to establish
diplomatic relations with turkey without any pre-condition.