TURKISH PM SAYS HE CAN MEET WITH ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

TREND
Jan 28 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he can meet with
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan, the Cihan news agency reported.

There are no obstacles for a meeting with Sarkisyan, Erdogan told
reporters while leaving for the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Erdogan said he is not pessimistic about the upcoming anniversary of
the so-called "Armenian Genocide" on April 24.

"April 24 is not a doomsday," he said.

Erdogan added that the Armenian lobby acts against Turkey. This
is despite the fact that Turkey constantly makes moves in favor of
Armenia, he said.

Erdogan said regional countries must meet as part of the Caucasus
Platform, and current Turkish-Armenian meetings are only held at a
low level.

Turkey wants to hold meetings between senior officials with Armenia,
he added.

The Caucasus Platform will help address regional problems, Erdogan
said.