TURKISH OPPOSITIONIST ACCUSES AUTHORITIES

news.am
Feb 9 2010
Armenia

Deniz Baykal, the leader of the Turkish Republican People’s Party
(RPP), delivered a speech before the RPP parliamentary faction
members. Baykal also addressed the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation
process.

Haber -7 quotes Baykal as saying: "There is one more problem in the
initiative to normalize relations with Armenia. We do not go into
details of the developments. Armenia is our neighbor. We were among
the first to recognize Armenia’s independence. Consider history.

Armenia occupied Azerbaijani lands. Turkey was against that and closed
the border. Armenia has had much trouble because of that, and 60,000
Turks have come to Turkey to win bread. Turkey turned a blind eye to
this all because Turkey has good will. Turkey closed the borders not
because it was hostile toward Armenia, but because it did not accept
what had been done against Azerbaijan.

"We do not see that Armenia wants to improve the bilateral relations.

We told the Turkish authorities not to do any step. And what are w
facing now?" Baykal said. He also drew the attendees’ attention to the
RA Constitutional Court’s verdict, which indicates that the further
process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide cannot be prevented.

Baykal pointed out that April 24 is coming near, and the agenda will
become heavier, and this is the result of the Government-declared
"zero problems" policy. "The authorities have been unable to get
anything, but they have lost much. They have lost Azerbaijanis’
friendship. We have also seen that the natural gas price has risen.

All this, as well as the high price for natural gas – and, of course,
the people will pay," Baykal said.