The New Anatolian, Turkey
May 14 2005
Erdogan, Kocharian expected to meet next week
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President
Robert Kocharian are expected to meet for rare talks at a summit next
week.
The Anatolia news agency said Erdogan and Kocharian were expected to
meet on the sidelines of a Council of Europe summit scheduled for
Monday and Tuesday in Warsaw. The date of the meeting was not
specified.
Turkish and Armenian officials could not immediately confirm the
report. However, Council of Europe spokesman Can Fisek said there
were “strong indications” that the leaders would meet.
The talks are widely expected to focus on efforts to promote dialogue
between the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations.
The two countries sharply disagree over the so-called Armenian
genocide claims.
Erdogan has previously indicated that the countries might establish
political ties if Armenia agreed to join a joint commission to
investigate the killings. Armenia says it’s ready to re-establish
relations with Turkey, but without any preconditions.