ARFD WILL ORGANIZE ACTIONS OF PROTEST DURING TURKISH PRESIDENT’S POSSIBLE VISIT TO ARMENIA, ARMEN RUSTAMIAN WARNS

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 23

There is an atmosphere of non-announced war between Armenia
and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno Karabakh issue, while there is a
non-announced conflict in Armenia-Turkey relations. Armen Rustamian,
a representative of the ARFD Armenian Supreme Body, stated at the July
23 press conference. According to him, to normalize Armenian-Turkish
relations that conflict should be first of all liquidated, the
cause of which is Turkey’s policy of speaking with Armenia with
preconditions. "These preconditions, in fact, are ultimatums,"
A. Rustamian said adding that Turkey continues active diplomatic work
in the direction of denying the Armenian Genocide. Even in the context
of improving Armenian-Turkish relations, according to the ARFD figure,
Dashnaktsutiun is against making the Genocide a subject of bargaining.

A. Rustamian touched upon former RA President Robert Kocharian’s
statement that if he continued ruling Armenia, in difference to Serzh
Sargsyan, he would not invite the Turkish President to Armenia to
watch football.

Mentioning that he considers commenting upon politicians’ statements
a thankless task, A. Rustamian said that in any case, high-ranking
Turkish officials do not make such mutually exclusive statements
over the most important issues as former and current Armenian
authorities do.

As regards Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s possible visit to Armenia,
the ARFD RA Supreme Body representative warned that in case he arrives
in Armenia ARFD is going to organize actions of protest.