THE HARSHNESS AND SHARPNESS OF OBAMA’S SPEECH WAS UNEXPECTED
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
07.04.2009 15:29

Yesterday’s speech of President Obama on the Armenian Issue was harsh
and sharp, and it was unexpected, Suren Manukyan, Deputy Director of
the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute, told a pres conference today.

Suren Manukyan considers that the hints Turkey drops about the signing
of an agreement on the establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations,
opening of the border and creation of a joint commission come to
substitute Barack Obama’s pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

"I think we will gain nothing from that agreement, while it will give
much to Turkey, because in 15 years those in Turkey will probably
understand the ineffectiveness of today’s policy, i.e. they will
understand that the closed border has not solved the issue it was
supposed to solve: Armenia has not been destroyed."

Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan considers that the process of recognition
of the Armenian Genocide yields to the processes of opening of the
border and establishment of Armenian Turkish relations.

"Recently Turks have been pushing forward the question of opening
of the border and, thereby solving a very important issue, i.e. the
official refusal from territorial claims. If we recognize the Kars
Agreement, we thus refuse from any territorial claims, while in case
of recognition of the Armenian Genocide some threat will still continue
bothering the Turkish state and authorities," Safrastyan said.