ARFD DEPUTY: ARMENIAN SOCIETY SHOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT CONDITION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 2, 2009

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN. Today Armenian society has a number
of questions regarding the Armenian-Turkish relations, and the
authorities should give an answer to them. Ruzan Arakelian, a member
of the RA National Assembly ARFD faction, stated at the April 2
press conference. In her words, currently the RA Foreign Ministry
only refutes or confirms this or that news spread by Turkish and
Azeri media. While, according to the deputy, from the very start the
people should be informed about the condition of the Armenian-Turkish
relations. "This problem should be solved by the whole nation, our
society’s opinion should be taken into account without fail," she said.

R. Arakelian said that according to information published by a Turkish
website, the Turks have prepared a package of proposals dedicated to
the ways of normalizing the relations with Armenia and are going to
present it to U.S. President Barack Obama. According to the deputy,
by doing so they want to make B. Obama understand that by pronouncing
the word "genocide" in his April 24 address, he will hinder the
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

Turkologist Hakob Chakrian, an analyst at the Azg daily, in his turn,
said that the Turks make the dialogue launched between Armenia and
Turkey within the framework of "football diplomacy" serve for their
own interests.

However, in his words, B. Obama is not the President of the country
that should be affected by that policy. H. Chakrian said that even
if B. Obama does not pronounce the term "genocide," all the same that
issue will remain on the agenda.