Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
Nov 24 2006

Armenia hopes Turkey EU process will open to doors to genocide debate

By Jean Christou

ARMENIA said yesterday it hoped Turkey’s accession to the European
Union would lead to more honest and open debate on issues such as the
Armenian genocide.

Speaking to reporters during his official visit to Cyprus, Armenian
President Robert Kocharian said Turkey’s path to Europe would likely
influence relations between the two countries.

He said that once Turkey had expressed its wish to include itself in
the EU, it should mean normalisation of relations with its
neighbours, including Armenia.

`Consequently, the issue of Turkey’s accession course interests us
and we are waiting to see it become what it should become. This will
certainly influence Armenian-Turkish relations,’ Kocharian said.

The Armenian president also commented on the recent difficulties in
French-Turkish relations after Ankara said it was suspending
bilateral military ties with Paris

It was the latest step in a row over whether Armenians suffered
genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915, after the French
National Assembly approved a bill criminalising denial of the
Armenian genocide.

Kocharian avoided commenting on the row, but welcomed moves by the
international community to recognise genocides and hoped that one day
Turkey could join the ranks.

`We believe the process of Turkey’s accession to the EU will lead to
a more open and honest debate in Turkish society where people can
express their opinions,’ Kocharian said.
`I know this a difficult process. I also know that the international
community, in recognising the various genocides that have taken
place, all contribute so that these matters can move forward to the
point where there is understanding of such things.’

Kocharian also said that `Armenia would like to see a speedy solution
to the Cyprus problem’, following his meeting with President Tassos
Papadopoulos.

Papadopoulos said that discussions with his Armenian counterpart
covered a wide range of issues, aiming at developing the bilateral
co-operation, in the fields of education, tourism, bank sector, and
culture.
He also expressed the belief that Armenians who live in Cyprus would
pave the way for new areas of co-operation, and accepted an
invitation from Kocharian to visit Armenia in 2007.

Prior to the meeting, an agreement was signed between the two
governments on co-operation in combating organised and other forms of
crime, which was initialled by Justice Minster Sophocles Sophocleous
and his Armenian counterpart Davit Harutyunyan.