PanARMENIAN.Net

TABDC: discussion of Genocide and Karabakh issues make
Turkey-Armenia reconciliation possible
29.05.2008 18:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Mosaic Institute invited Kaan
Soyak, the Co-chair of the Turkish Armenian Business
Development Council (TABDC) to Toronto to address a
group of Canadians of Turkish and Armenian origin at a
dinner reception on May 22, independent French
journalist Jan Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Kaan Soyak and Arsen Ghazarian, the Armenian Co-chair,
established the TABDC in 1997, as a think tank NGO
aimed to improve relations between Armenia and Turkey.

The mission of the TABDC is to seek normalization of
relations between Turkey and Armenia by opening the
border between the two countries, which has been
closed for more than a decade. In addition, the TABDC
advocates establishing diplomatic relations between
Turkey and Armenia.

The Embassies of both Turkey and Armenia in Ottawa
sent senior representatives to the Toronto meeting
convened by the Mosaic Institute. In addition, Foreign
Affairs and International Trade Canada sent a senior
diplomat to be present at the Mosaic Institute event.

"There was a wonderful atmosphere of respect and
willingness to listen" said Vahan Kololian, Chairman
of the Mosaic Institute. "Clearly the TABDC is doing
important work in the Caucuses region, and it is
important for them to know that many in the Turkish
and Armenian Diaspora support their efforts," he said.

Mr. Soyak said, "It is the position of the TABDC that
diplomatic relations can be established and borders
can be opened, while the Genocide issue and the
Nagorno Karabakh problem continue to be studied and
discussed.-