RUBEN SAFRASTIAN: ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES SHOULD RAISE ISSUE OF SECURITY
OF ARMENIANS IN TURKEY

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The murder of
Hrant Dink will not change the current trends in the Armenian-Turkish
relations. This opinion was expressed by Ruben Safrastian, Director of
the RA NAS Institute of Oriental Studies, Turklogust, during the
January 20 press conference.

According to him, talks about opening the Armenian-Turkish border are
not realistic and this opportunity is remote. He said that no
political force in Turkey has spoken in favor of the border’s
opening. Moreover, Turkish business circles, especially big capital
representatives who are mainly in the Tusiat organization, are against
opening the border.

Safrastian said that the Armenian authorities should try to raise the
issue of security of the Armenian community both before the Turkish
government and in international bodies. In his words, by the Treaty of
Lausanne the Turkish authorities are obliged to ensure the security of
the Armenian people’s small section that still lives in Turkey. "I
think this is an occasion when Armenia should take respective steps in
international bodies," the Turkologist noted.