PanARMENIAN.Net
Cemal Usak: ordinary Turkish citizens indifferent
about absence of relations with Armenia
07.02.2008 16:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Armenia and Turkey are far from
each other in politics and at the same time are very
close in culture. Besides, we are neighbors,’ said
Cemal Usak, Secretary General of Intercultural
Dialogue Platform. The closed border affects both
states but Armenia suffers more, he said.
`From the economic standpoint, open border is not a
necessity for Turkey but Armenia needs it not to pay
Georgia for transit of Turkish goods. It’s a mere
political issue. Certainly, I would like to travel
directly but not through a third state,’ Usak said.
`The events of 1915 were a tragedy both for Turkey and
Armenia. You lost compatriots, we lost our friends and
relatives. In course of 700 years Armenians and Turks
lived like friends. The past 100 years made us
enemies. But, to be honest, I don’t think that
ordinary Turkish citizens are concerned about absence
of relations with Armenia,’ Usak said.
Since the middle of 16th century Western Armenia had
been under the Ottoman yoke. The first pogroms started
under the rule of Sultan Abdul Hamid in 1867 and
continued till 1923. The Armenian Genocide claimed
lives of 1,5 million of people. Half a million found
shelter in different countries throughout the globe,
forming the Armenian Diaspora.
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