RECONCILIATION DOESN’T MEAN ARMENIANS WILL STOP SEEKING GENOCIDE RECOGNITION: US OFFICIAL

Tert
Sept 17 2009
Armenia

David L. Phillips, a senior fellow at the US-based Atlantic Council,
has said the Turkish government is working on democratic reforms not
to satisfy the demands of the European Union or the United States
but because of its own interests.

A journalist from Turkish daily Today’s Zaman asked Mr. Philips about
genocide recognition demands from the Armenian side.

"Adopting a treaty on normalization and recognition is an event
that occurs on a specific date. Reconciliation between Turks and
Armenians is a process that is going to require a long time and a lot
of interaction. Opening the border, Turks and Armenians will be able
to come together. That will deepen mutual understanding and promote
reconciliation between these two peoples. But that doesn’t mean that
Armenians will stop seeking recognition of the genocide. My experience
with historians is that they come to the table with piles of books and
papers justifying their conclusions. I suspect that this commission
will not reach a definitive conclusion that is satisfactory to either
side," David L. Phillips answered.