"TURKEY MAKES SERIOUS DIPLOMATIC MISTAKE AND LOSES UNPRECEDENTED POSSIBILITY
OF POSITIVELY INCLINING ARMENIAN LOBBY," CHAIRMAN OF ARMENIAN ORGANIZATIONS
IN EUROPE REPRESENTATION STATES

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 05 2007

BRATISLAVA, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Turkish Foreign
Ministry’s inviting of the Armenian delegation for participation
in the opening ceremony of the Surb Khach (Saint Cross) church of
the island of Akhtamar, Van, and at the same time not opening of
the Armenian-Turkish border for arriving in Turkey was a serious
diplomatic mistake by Turkey. Ashot Grigorian, the Chairman of the
Armenian Organizations in Europe Representation and of the Armenian
community of Slovakia, gave such an estimation to the happened. He
mentioned in the interview to Noyan tapan that similar data did not
help increase of Turkey’s authority in Europe.

In A. Grigorian’s words, in spite of promises given to the Armenian
side, the Margara and Gyumri border custom-houses remained close,
arising great difficulties for those leaving Armenia to Van. Ambassador
of Turkey to Slovakia Tunc Ugdul was not either able to show assistance
in that issue, in spite of the promises given by him at the March 20
Bratislava meeting with Ashot Grigorian.

"Surely, correct diplomacy prompted to open-heartedly receive both
Armenians of Armenia and Diasporan Armenians and attempt to prove
that no trace remained from Ottaman Turkey in today’s everyday life
of republican Turkey," A. Grigorian said, adding that the opposite,
Turkey striving for membership to the European Union more and more
repel Europeans in the consequence of its not skilled diplomacy.

In the AOER Chairman’s words, "in spite of the promising agreement
with today’s Ambassador of Turkey to Solvakia to assist establishment
of the Turkish-Armenian diplomatic relations, however, the Turkish
Foreign Ministry again missed the possibility of getting possible
political divident, taking a very favourable step for itself and
lost a very good possibility on the way of settling relations with
the neighboring European country."

"This was an unprecedented possibility to positively incline the
Armenian lobby but it was not used," the Chairman of the Armenian
Organizations in Europe Representation summed up.