Turkish Foreign Minister Calls On Armenia To Begin Dialogue

ITAR-TASS
April 21 2008
Russia

ANKARA, April 21 (Itar-Tass) – Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan
called on Armenia to begin a dialogue.

The Turkish minister sent a message to his Armenian counterpart
Vartan Oskanyan on Monday in which he called on him to start a
bilateral dialogue.

Babacan told journalists that Ankara sought to normalise relations with
Yerevan. "Turkey wants to normalise relations with Armenia. We make
our channels open for the dialogue with the new Armenian leadership,"
Babacan said.

"Turkey is opened for a dialogue with Armenia in order to normalise
Turkish-Armenian relations in a new epoch," Babacan said. In his view,
"The resumption of the bilateral dialogue will help solve the existing
problems in relations between the two countries."

In February the presidential elections were held in Armenia. Serzh
Sarkisyan won the elections. At present, Turkey and Armenia have no
diplomatic relations.