TURKEY AND ARMENIA SEEK DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
By Dale Yurong

KFSN (ABC Fresno)
news/national_world&id=6991739
Aug 31 2009

ANKARA, Turkey (KFSN) — Armenia and Turkey are ready to
end a historically unbreakable rift and establish diplomatic
ties. Recognition by Turkey of the Armenian genocide has long been
a priority for Armenians. But it’s not clear whether the talks will
solve the long-running dispute.

Historians say between 1915 and 1923 more than one-point-five million
Armenians were massacred by the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Turkey’s
government has maintained the deaths were the result of civil
war. Since then, normalizing relations between the two countries has
been impossible.

Fresno State professor Barlow Der Mugrdechian said, "Turkey has
been the stumbling block because they have refused to recognize the
Armenian genocide."

Der Mugrdechian heads the Armenian Studies program at Fresno
State. He’s pleased the two countries are ready to establish diplomatic
ties but doesn’t believe Turkey is ready to acknowledge the world war
one-era mass killings. He explained, "It’s my feeling the genocide
issue will not be there simply because Turkey has refused to do that
before. I don’t see them changing that at this point and Armenia
has always said there would be no pre-conditions on normalizing
diplomatic relations."