news.am, Armenia
Feb 13 2010

Armenian-Turkish reconciliation process not derailed

15:54 / 02/13/2010Representatives of both governmental and opposition
camps, as well as experts, are of the opinion that it is yet early to
speak of the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation process as a failure.

Talking to NEWS.am Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia parliamentary
faction Armen Safaryan said that the Armenia-Turkey reconciliation
process is going on. `I do not rule out it may be protracted, as
almost all the influential nations are interested in the
Armenian-Turkish relations being normalized and they will never allow
the process to fail,’ Safaryan said. He does not rule out that Turkey
may step up its activities on the occasion of the next anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide to prevent the fact from being recognized by a
number of other states, particularly, the U.S.

Head of the Heritage faction Stepan Safaryan is sure that the
Armenian-Turkish protocols will be ratified before the end of this
year. He stressed that the international community is pressuring the
sides. Being a stronger nation, Turkey does not yield to it as much as
Armenia does. `So the international community places its hopes on
Armenia. They think that Turkey will have to take reciprocal steps if
Armenia takes all the steps it can,’ S. Safaryan said.

Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies Ruben Safrastyan stated
that no prerequisites for a failure of the Armenian-Turkish dialogue
exist. `Turkey is trying to gain time to think over its steps,’ he
said. The experts does not rule out that Armenia may take reciprocal
steps, as official Yerevan has already done all in its power to
normalize relations with Ankara. Safrastyan also thinks that, on the
occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey may
cash in on the Armenian-Turkish protocols to derail the process of
recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

T.P.