‘TURKEY, ARMENIA TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS’
Aljazeera.com
/news/newsfull.php?newid=187187
Nov 25 2008
UK
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has said that his country will
continue efforts aimed at normalizing relations with Armenia.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has said that his country will
continue efforts aimed at normalizing relations with Armenia.
"Our aim is to fully normalize bilateral relations," Babacan said
after meeting with his Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandian in
Istanbul on Monday.
According to the Turkish official, the two-hour meeting was fruitful
and constructive as the two leaders discussed cooperation and regional
issues as well as establishing a security and stability platform in
the Caucasus.
He noted that Turkey and Armenia would continue their political and
technical contacts in the following days.
Babacan also announced that his Armenian counterpart is expected to
visit Turkey some time soon.
Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia
since 1991, because it objects to Armenian forces’ occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia insists the deaths of about 1.5
million ethnic Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th
century should be recognized as genocide but Turkey says the number
is inflated and that the killings were the result of a civil war.