TURKEY MODIFYING ITS APPROACHES, EXPERT SAYS

news.am
March 29 2010
Armenia

Although the Armenian-Turkish process is in a stalemate now, it will
go on yet, the specialist in Turkic studies Ruben Melkonyan told
reporters on March 29.

According to him, the Armenian Genocide resolutions approved by the
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and by other Parliaments
are the reason for the stalemate, he stated that this fact evoked
varied responses in Turkey. "At first, their reaction was violent and
hysterical as shown by Premier Recep Erdogan, who made a statement
on the deportation of illegal Armenian immigrants. Now, however,
the Turkish political machinery has changed its tactics and corrected
its approaches," Melkonyan said. He pointed out that the aim of the
corrections is "putting Erdogan’s statements in a milder form." "It is
regrettable, however, that they want the Armenian community in Turkey
represented by a certain Sirinoglu to be involved in the corrections.

Sirinoglu introduced himself as community leader and is trying to
send the world special messages about the Turkish Government’s most
merciful attitude to the local Armenians," Melkonyan said.

As regards the Turkish Premier’s everyday statements on the
deportation of illegal Armenians immigrants, Melkonyan considers the
unacceptable. He pointed out that millions of Turkish citizens are
illegal immigrants in other states.