Journal of Turkish Weekly
Feb 2 2007
Former Armenian PM Darbinian: Turkey and Armenia should not be
Enemies
Friday , 02 February 2007
* Former Armenian Prime Minister Darbinian: Hostility Should Be Ended
By Jan SOYKOK (JTW)
Former Armenian Prime Minister Armen Darbinian started a political
campaign to develop relations between Turkey and Arsmenia. Darbinian
told the daily Milliyet (Istanbul) that the Hrant Dink Funeral was a
milestone in the relations. Drinian argued that the Armenians should
question themselves after the funeral.
Darbinian, who is the Rector of the Russian-Armenian University right
now, said in his essay in Russian daily Vedomosti `the enemy Turk
image does not match with the facts in the history’.
According to the former Armenian PM Mr. Darbinian the Turkish
people’s respect to the Dink’s funeral clearly showed how Turkish
society has changed. `As a matter of fact that, none of us expected
such a sincere solidarity with the Dink’s ideas from the Turkish
people’ he added.
Mr. Darbinian also called the Armenian Government to clarify its
Turkey policy. `Yerevan should declare that we have no territorial
demand from Turkey. The most important reason for that Turkey does
not have diplomatic relations with Armenia is the Armenian
territorial demands mentioned in the Constitution’.
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was defending a re-defining of
the Armenian identity. Mr. Dink argued in his Agos weekly that
Armenian identity has been established on hostility against the
Turks. He further said `the Armenians should focus on surviving of
Armenia instead of fighting the Turks’.
Dr. Sedat Laciner, head of the Ankara-based USAK told the JTW both,
Armenians and Turks should follow Hrant Dink. `The foremost priority
for the Armenians should to survive young Armenia. The diaspora in
particular should not motivated by the revenge policies. The fighting
between Turks and Armenians damage Armenia. Turkey needs a strong
Armenia in the region. However the aggressiveness in the Armenian
side limits Turkey’s maneuver area. On the other hand, the aggressive
diaspora and Armenia policies isolate Armenia in the region. Armenia
is now in none of the regional co-operation projects’ Mr. Laciner
added.
2 February 2007
By Jan Soykok, JTW
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
