ANKARA HOPES SERGE SARGSYAN WILL HELP OPEN A NEW PAGE IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

armradio.am
25.03.2008 17:17

Ankara hopes that Armenian President-Elect Serge Sargsyan "will help
to open a new page in the relations between Armenia and Turkey,"
Turkish Ambassador to Russia Kurtulush Tashkent said, Mediamax reports.

"Looking into future, we hope that Mr. Sargsyan will be a realist
politician and will take steps to expel the reasons that hinder the
normalization of relations with Turkey. We are neighbor countries and
will remain such. That is why the development of normal relations meets
the political interests of our countries. We hope that Mr. Sargsyan
will help us to open a new page in the relations between Turkey and
Armenia. We also hope that during Mr. Sargsyan’s presidency Armenia
will end its occupation of Azerbaijan and the given issue will be
solved in a peaceful way and on the basis of international law,"
Kurtulush Tashkent declared.

"Unfortunately, Armenia is the only country in the CIS we have no
diplomatic relations with. The reason is that the Armenian Constitution
and the Declaration of Independence include certain provisions,
which make territorial claims on Turkey. The second reason is that
Armenia is trying to do so that parliaments of third countries
adopt decisions on the so-called Armenian Genocide. We refute any
decision on the so-called Armenian Genocide. The Turkish leadership
has suggested to create a joint commission featuring both Armenian
and Turkish historians, as well as historians from third countries,
if necessary. Let that commission study the Armenian archives, the
Turkish archives and state what has happened in reality.

Turkey is not afraid of the truth. The third reason is that Armenia
has occupied part of Azerbaijani territory," the Turkish diplomat said.