TURKISH SCHOLARS WELCOME RAPPROCHEMENT APPEAL WITH ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
13.06.2007 13:46

A group of Turkish scholars welcomed an appeal by 53 Nobel laureates
calling for tolerance, contact and cooperation between Turks and
Armenians, in a written statement released yesterday by the Institute
for Armenian Research at the Ankara-based Center for Eurasian Strategic
Studies (ASAM), reports the Turkish Daily News reports.

"We view this call as a doorway to opening a process of dialogue
between Turks and Armenians and as a stepping stone which will work to
keep that door open, facilitating the culture of peace to bear fruit,"
a group of 86 Turkish scholars, writers and retired ambassadors said
in response to the appeal by New-York based The Elie Wiesel Foundation.

The appeal issued in April called on Turks and Armenians to
encourage their governments to open the Turkish-Armenian border,
generate confidence through civil society cooperation, improve
official contacts, to allow basic freedoms and to address the gap in
perceptions over the alleged genocide of Armenians at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire.

"We would like to state that we are willing to do our part to make
positive contributions to this end," said the Turkish scholars.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress