REOPENING OF SURB KHACH CHURCH IS A SHOW FOR EUROPE, PARUYR HAYRIKIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 30 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. By repairing and
reopening Akhtamar’s Surb Khach Church, Turkey did what it was able
to do. It could not have changed its essence. Chairman of National
Self-Determination Union Paruyr Hayrikian said in his interview to
Noyan Tapan correspondent adding that the Armenian delegation’s
visit "can be considered as a step to some extent normalizing
Armenian-Turkish relations."

In P. Hayrikian’s words, currently some change has been made in
Turkey’s policy. "This, certainly, is not what we expect, is not
what Turkey denying the Genocide can be ready for. But after all,
this is a step taken not for normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations,
but for showing Europe that Turkey goes by the way of recognizing
historic past of even national monorities," he said.

In P. Hayrikian’s words, the more facts of the kind we witness,
"the more profitable it is for us, as if there is a monument of
architectural historic interest, which Turks have to present even if
as a museum, the more logical and fair become the demands of Armenians
towards Turkey."

In P. Hayrikian’s words, in Armenia-Turkey relations there is much
to learn from Russia-Japan relations, "as they also have problems
coming from history and present them at the civilized level."