Diaspora Does Not Unanimously Treat Invitation To Turkish President

DIASPORA DOES NOT UNANIMOUSLY TREAT INVITATION TO TURKISH PRESIDENT TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN TO WATCH ARMENIA-TURKEY FOOTBALL MATCH

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 24

The invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to Turkish
President Abdullah Gul to watch together the Armenia-Turkey football
match to be held on September 6 in Yerevan was not perceived
unanimously in the Diaspora. Ashot Grigorian, the Chairman of the
Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe (FAAE), the head of the
Armenian community of Slovakia, said in his interview to Noyan Tapan
correspondent that there is a whole aggravated army of opponents to
that proposal in different Diasporan communities. According to their
evaluation, such an issue having a very serious hint of recognition of
the Armenian Genocide should not have been raised without discussing
it with the Diaspora, as one should not forget that the two third
of the Armenian people is in the Diaspora, which is too sensitive to
the issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

"Yes, we understand that to get the issue of Armenian-Turkish relations
moving the RA President can invite Turkish President Gul to Armenia and
at the same time announce that the issue of Genocide is inviolable,
is beyond any discussions and make Turks understand that at least
for Armenians, there is nothing to clear up. There is also nothing to
clear up for the countries that have recognized the fact of Armenian
Genocide by adopting resolutions by their parliaments. There is also
nothing to discuss with all other countries, which consider that the
Genocide is a fact beyond discussions, but do not wish to touch upon
that issue not to sadden Turkey or to make it angry," the FAAE Chairman
said adding that "the only need to discuss the issue exists in Turkey."

According to A. Grigorian, the RA President can say to President
Gul that we are ready to help Turks for them also to agree to the
world’s opinion. He can say so when shaking hands with President
Gul after the football match and during an intimate talk. However,
let us not forget that Gul also masters diplomacy and will try to
give a counter-blow to that with steps prepared in advance. And
the Diaspora is much concerned with the outcome of that fight. The
Diaspora is afraid that suddenly, God forbid, an unexpected shift may
take place in the solution of our basic issue, that of recognition of
the Armenian Genocide. As the idea of discussion in itself is already
a terribly big regress for an issue adopted by many parliaments and
brought to the axiomatic state. "The idea of discussion in itself
is already a defeat for Armenian diplomacy, not to mention the real
prospect of receiving a result fraught with dangers," the Chairman of
the Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe stated. As he evaluated,
moving the issue to the political plane gives a great possibility
for Turkey that found the way of denial.

According to A. Grigorian, his many contacts with representatives
of the Diaspora permit him to state that the Diaspora is upset that
their opinion has not been taken into consideration for dozens of
years and it goes on up to the present.

In A. Grigorian’s words, as it had been repeatedly stated at the FAAE
conference held in late May, today the Diaspora supports the Armenian
statehood, gives all its forces and abilities to support the newly
elected President’s policy and development of democracy in Armenia,
but expects the current RA President to show an abrupt, revolutionary
approach to the Diaspora and Diaspora’s problems.

"We support all his steps leading to strengthening of the RA statehood,
we believe that the Armenian figures of the Diaspora, who have already
proved their authority to the world with Diaspora’s serious, active,
numerous results, will be involved in the process of strengthening
Armenia’s statehood, and first of all, will be involved in the
Public Council, which, in our opinion, will have a great future if
figures well acquainted with Armenia’s domestic and foreign policy
are represented there in a balanced way," A. Grigorian stated. He
added that he has discussed this statement with the chairmen of the
Hask Hamaynk Armenian NGO of U.S., Council of Armenian Intellectuals
of America, and other organizations.

http://www.nt.am/news.php?shownews=115973