GEVORG POGHOSIAN: ARMENIAN AND TURKISH SOCIETIES ARE NOT READY FOR IMPROVEMENT OF RELATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 19, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian Sociological Association
held a survey among 1000 Yerevan residents between September 21
to 25 to find out Armenian society’s opinion of improvement of
Armenian-Turkish relations. Association Chairman Gevorg Poghosian
said at an October 19 press conference that Armenian society does
not accept that issue unequivocally.

According to the survey, 52.4% Yerevan residents is against
ratification of the protocols and 40% is against opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border. G. Poghosian said that surveys were held in
Turkey, as well, and according to them, before signing the protocols
the considerable part of Turkish society, nearly 70% was against the
protocols, while after the signing that index decreased up to 53-54%.

Thus, according to G. Poghosian, Armenian and Turkish societies are
not ready for improvement of relations. According to his estimation,
the authorities of both countries overcome difficulties to ratify
the protocols. "It means that the whole process should have been
explained to society in detail. Our and Turkish authorities did not
make sufficient efforts in this direction, as a result of which we
meet resistance both in Armenia and in Turkey," G. Poghosian said.

In his opinion, for many of RA citizens it is not clear up to the
present why Armenia makes such concessions. In his words, if we mean
the blockade Turkey initiated in 1993 to punish Armenia, let Turkey
itself open the border.
From: Baghdasarian