RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: THE THAW IN ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS IS A STEP FORWARD RATHER THAN DIALOGUE
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
22.12.2008 14:41

Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the National Academy
of Sciences, Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan is inclined to assess the
thaw in the Armenian-Turkish relations and the football diplomacy
as a step forward in the relations between the two countries rather
than dialogue.

Ruben Safrastyan welcomes the fact that there were intellectuals
in the Turkish society who initiated a campaign of apology on the
Internet for the World War I-era massacres of Armenians in Turkey.

The group of prominent academics, journalists, writers and artists
stated in the petition:"My conscience does not accept that (we) remain
insensitive toward and deny the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman
Armenians were subjected in 1915," read the apology. "I reject this
injustice, share in the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers,
and apologize to them."

However, Ruben Safrastyan insists that two important factors should
not be forgotten: "First, the number of intellectuals was very
small and their voice cannot be viewed as the opinion of the Turkish
society. Besides, they avoided using the term genocide in the apology,
using the less explosive Great Catastrophe instead."

Director of the Oriental Studies Institute assesses the campaign as the
first step, hoping that such initiatives will beco me more principled
in the future. In general, he characterizes the recent thaw in the
Armenian-Turkish relations and the football diplomacy as a step forward
in the relations between the two countries rather than dialogue.

It should be noted, however, that the pressure of the government
on Turkish society is weakening year by year. According to Ruben
Safrastyan, the fear is also reducing. Although Article 301 of the
Penal Code is still vital in Turkey, this country is not the same as
three or four years ago, the Turkologist stated.