TURKEY ARMENIA SET FOR AGREED ROAD MAP

Hurriyet
April 30 2009
Turkey

ANKARA – Following the announcement of a road map for the normalization
of Turkish-Armenian relations, the political consultation process
between the two countries will start in one or two weeks, Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan said yesterday.

Speaking to Parliament, Babacan responded to questions from opposition
deputies on U.S President Barack Obama’s April 24 statement on the
events of 1915. Reiterating that some of Obama’s expressions were
unacceptable to Turkey, Babacan said that Ankara "would continue to
deny unfounded claims." "The fact that hundreds of thousands of Turks
who lost their lives is not mentioned in the speech is its greatest
insufficiency.

We conveyed our views on President Barack Obama’s speech to the
U.S. Secretary of State on April 27, he said. "History may only be
written based on indisputable evidence and documents. We support the
envisioned Turkish Armenian dialogue’s historical aspect only under
these circumstances," Babacan noted.

Babacan said he also expressed Turkey’s discomfort to U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton over the phone and made it clear that the
joint commission foreseen to be formed between the two countries
could only depend on undisputed evidence and documents.