50-70,000 ARMENIANS MIGRATED TO TURKEY, SAY TURKISH OFFICIALS: YEGANYAN DOESN’T AGREE
Agos Weekly
Dec 18 2009
Istanbul
>>From 2000-2009, around 294,000 Armenian citizens went to Turkey, with
288,000 returning to their home country. This news was shared by head
of the RA Migration Agency Gagik Yeganyan at a press conference today.
Compared to year 2000, the amount of Republic of Armenia citizens
travelling to and from Turkey has quadrupled in 2008.
Yeganyan added that the negative balance of Armenia-Turkey migration
movements (that is, those individuals who leave the country and don’t
return) comprised more than 5,000 people: "During 8 years, a dynamic,
sharp, steady growth has been recorded between the two countries."
For comparison purposes, Yeganyan explained that in 2000, Armenian
citizens leaving to Turkey and subsequently returning to Armenia
numbered in the 30-31,000, while in 2008, that number has grown to
130,000. The head of the migration agency also informed the press that
the number of Armenian citizens going to and from other countries
dropped in 2008, except for those travelling to Turkey, where the
status quo was maintained.
Yeganyan also mentioned some facts presented by Turkish officials,
including those which state that the number of RA citizens, who
have left for Turkey with the aim of securing employment, comprises
around 50-70,000 individuals. The head of the state migration agency,
however, disputed those figures, saying the facts presented by Turkish
officials do not correspond to reality.