Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Sept 14 2008

TURKEY NOT TO ACCEPT PRECONDITIONS TO IMPROVE TIES WITH ARMENIA –
PARTY OFFICIAL

Ankara, 14 September: An executive of the governing Justice &
Development (AK) Party has said that Turkey would never accept a
pre-condition of recognition of some Armenian circles’ allegations
about incidents of 1915 to improve its relations with Armenia.

Speaking at the panel discussion "Whither Turkey" hosted by the
Eastern Institute during the Krynica Economic Forum, one of the most
prestigious forums in eastern Europe, in Polish capital city of
Warsaw, Egemen Bagis, deputy chairman of the AK Party, said, "Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed Armenia to establish a
joint commission with the participation of the third countries and to
open archives. Armenia has not yet given a response to Turkey’s
proposal."

"Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s paying a visit to Armenia upon
invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is the most concrete
sign of Turkey’s good-will. On the other hand, more than one million
documents examined upon directives of Turkey proved that those bitter
events were not genocide, but a civil war during a world war."

Bagis added that Turkey would never accept a pre-condition of
recognition of some Armenian circles’ allegations about incidents of
1915 to improve its relations with Armenia.