BUILDING ARMENIA-TURKEY DIALOGUE ATOP OLD RUINS OF ANI

armradio.am
14.04.2009 11:59

Turkey’s culture minister calls on Armenia to cooperate in restoring
the Ani ruins on the Turkish side of the border, but says that the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue must be resolved first, Hurriyet Daily reports.

Turkey and Armenia should cooperate to restore the ancient town of Ani,
said Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay, adding that any such effort would
require a resolution of the problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The ministry’s plans for cooperation between the two countries are not
limited to restoration work, Gunay told the Hurriyet Daily News. He
said he hoped to undertake many joint cultural projects with both
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The ancient town of Ani was the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia
between 961 and 1045. Its ruins are situated in the Arpacay region of
the northeastern province of Kars, on the Turkish side of the border
between the two countries.

According to Gunay, cultural efforts to establish peace in the
Caucasus region cannot be maintained if they ignore Azerbaijan. "We
cannot treat the people of Azerbaijan as if they don’t exist while
trying to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia," he said.

Gunay said world-renowned Turkish piano virtuoso Idil Biret would
hold a concert in Armenia in the next few months as part of her
Caucasus tour.

"We have certain sens itivities, but we also are aware that cultural
activities can play a key role in resolving political issues," he
said. "This [the concert] is a first step."

The culture minister said the current restoration efforts in Ani
would soon turn their focus to the town’s cathedral and that Armenian
experts had recently attended a meeting on the project. The World
Monuments Fund would support the restoration of the cathedral, he said.

Gunay added that the ministry was also ready to contribute to the
Turkish-Armenian community in Istanbul’s efforts to find the funds
to restore the 500-year-old Surp Giragos Church in the southeastern
province of Diyarbakir.

But the community fears any application for help would result in the
church being restored as a museum rather than a place of worship that
would serve the community, as happened with the Surp Church on the
island of Akdamar in the eastern province of Van.