IN ORDER TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS, ARMENIA AND TURKEY SHOULD FORGO FROM
PUTTING FORWARD ANY PRECONDITIONS, ACGRC HEAD SAYS

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The Analytical Center of
Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC) and the Fridrich Ebert
Fund held on August 11 a seminar to discuss the current state and
perspectives of the Armenian-Turkish relations and the problem of the
recognition of the Armenian genocide. In the opinion of Arsen Avagian,
an advisor of the RA Ministry of Interior Affairs, today some change
regarding the issue of the recognition of the Armenian genocide can be
observed in the Turkish society. In particular, a mood has become more
pronounced among the Turkish intelligentsia, according to which the
problem of the Genocide cannot be solved by its constant denial.

According to A. Avagian, “many in Turkey speak in favor of taking the
issue of the Armenian genocide off the international agenda and making
it a subject of the bilateral Armenian-Turkish discussion.”

A. Avagian considered it desirable that the Turkish government would
recognize the Genocide under the pressure of the Turkish society
itsdelf, from which the truth about the tragic events of the beginning
of the 20th century was concealed for many years, rather than under
the influence of the international community. According to the ACGRC
Head Stepan Grigorian, the problem of the Genocide recognition should
be taken off the agenda of Armenia’s foreign policy, and only experts
and the Armenian Dispora should deal with it. “The experience of the
past ten years shows that the Armenian genocide has been recognized by
states either procceding from their own interests or thanks to the
activities of the Diaspora. It has no relation to the position of the
RA state institutions and the activities of the political elite.” In
the opinion of S. Grigorian, the issue of the Genocide recognition
should become a subject of the bilateral Armenian-Turkish
discussion. He noted that Armenia should clearly differentiate the
Armenian-Turkish relations and the Armenian-Azerbaijani ones in order
to normalize the relations with Turkey. Besides, both countries shou!
ld forgo from putting forward any preconditions and not take steps
that may lead to further escalation of the tension in the bilateral
relations, which actually took place as a result of arresting Ektan
Turkielmaz, a Turkish scientist, on smuggling charges.