CICEK: TTK NOT AGAINST OPENING ARMENIAN BORDER

Today’s Zaman
April 20 2009
Turkey

The Turkish Historical Society (TTK) is not against Turkey opening its
border with Armenia, TTK Armenian Desk Chairman Kemal Cicek has said.

The Armenian border been closed since 1993, when Armenia attacked
Azerbaijani territory. Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Cicek also stated
that as April 24, the anniversary of an alleged genocide of Armenians
at the hands of the Ottomans in 1915, approaches, no mass cleansing
occurred as the Armenians have claimed. Cicek said Turkey was
trying to understand the Armenians, adding his belief that relations
between the two countries should normalize. Cicek said the TTK was
not against the opening of the border but added that Turkey had some
conditions. He said: "In 1993, the Armenians drove the Azerbaijanis
out of their own land and staged large-scale massacres, after which
Turkey closed its Armenian border and explained the preconditions for
reopening the border. These are for Armenia to pull out of Azerbaijani
territory and to stop referring to Turkey’s eastern Anatolian lands
as ‘Western Armenia.’ The border should not be opened unless both of
these conditions are fulfilled, but the relations should be normalized
and the two nations should make peace."

Cicek also said Armenians started disseminating propaganda on
an international level one week before the forced deportation of
Anatolia Armenians even started in 1915, adding that the Armenians
have come a long way since that time. Stating that Armenians always
keep their grief alive, Cicek said Turkey has kept silent for years
with an understanding of "let’s look into the future and forget our
past grievances." This is why, Cicek asserted, Turkey has been late
to provide explanations to the international community regarding
the rationale and rightful intentions causing Turkey to decide to
launch the 1915 forced deportation campaign. "Now, no matter what we
do to counter their claims, it is not enough because we have started
only recently. We are sincerely trying to understand what happened
to the Armenians, what made their agony different from ours," Cicek
emphasized, adding that Turkey should develop a policy that respects
the deaths and losses of Armenians.