BEDROS CIRINOGLU IS ERDOGAN’S CLOSE FRIEND, SAYS SHAQARIAN
Aysor
March 31 2010
Armenia
A meeting between Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and
Bedros Cirinoglu had a key goal to show that Ankara is holding dialogue
with Armenian Community of Turkey, said at today’s press conference
a turkologist Artak Shaqarian.
"Turkey’s authorities are wishing for demonstration of no-problems
between Armenians and Turks, to show a dialogue with Armenian
Community; while Bedros Cirinoglu had assumed responsibility
for incorrect figures of Armenians, living in Turkey," said Artak
Shaqarian, referring to recent incident, when Turkish Prime Minister
had threatened to expel 100,000 Armenians from Turkey, and Bedros
Cirinoglu said it was him who’d gave wrong figures to Erdogan
(actually, there are much less Armenian migrants in Turkey – nearly
14,000, experts say.)
Bedros Cirinoglu is a close friend to Erdogan, and the meeting was just
"a nice step," pointed turkologist.
"Erdogan tried to come out with clean hands, as his threats to expel
Armenians caused a reaction of the international community as well
reaction of Turkish society; Besides, Cirinoglu is not a leader of
Armenian Community of Turkey, as he is introduced. For more than 6
centuries, since 1400, the Armenian Community’s leader is Armenian
Patriarch," pointed Shaqarian, adding that formally late Hrant Dink
was considered as leader of Armenians in Turkey — Dink expressed
views of community and defended their rights.
"After Hrant Dink was killed, there is not a person in Turkey, who
could carry responsibility for leadership," added Artak Shaqarian.