ARMENIA ALREADY MET TURKEY HALFWAY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.07.2009 12:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey wants to see Armenia a weak and economically
undeveloped country, said Kiro Manoyan, ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau’s
Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Director.

"Ankara has set preconditions to Armenia for 20 years already,"
he told a conference in Stepanakert.

"How will Armenia benefit by establishment of diplomatic relations
with Turkey? It will have the opportunity to pursue an independent
policy in the region and will gain political advantage over Azerbaijan
in the Karabakh issue," he said.

Armenia met Turkey halfway, when it refrained from imposing conditions,
according to Mr. Manoyan.

"We should have told Ankara that we will not agree to open dialogue
unless it recognized the Armenian Genocide," he said, adding that
Armenians should not sacrifice the unity of nation to normalize
relations with Turkey.

"We must never lose our national values for the sake of temporary
achievement," he said.