RECOGNITION AND CONDEMNATION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE STEMS FROM TURKEY’S INTERESTS

YEREVAN, March 18. / ARKA /. Recognition and condemnation of the
Armenian Genocide stems from Turkey’s interests, because with such
past it can not move forward, chief of Armenian president’s staff,
Vigen Sargsyan, told an international media forum in Armenia today.

He said unlike any other genocides, the Armenian Genocide is being
denied to this day.

‘So, we can say that the genocide continues for as long as it is not
officially recognized and condemned. Modern-day Turkey continues the
policy of denying the Armenian Genocide, and this leads to a repetition
of this crime, like in the Middle East and Africa,” said Sargsyan.

He said Turkey is pursuing a hostile policy towards Armenia, seeking
to create economic problems for it, by keeping its border with
Armenia closed and trying that way to exert pressure on Armenia in
the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is not related
to Armenian-Turkish relations.

“Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is an important fact for
Armenia, however, it never raised this issue as a precondition for
the establishment of relations with Turkey,” said Sargsyan.

At the same time, Sargsyan pointed out that the civil society in
Turkey is getting stronger with every passing year openly speaking
about the need to recognize the Armenian Genocide. He said also in
an unprecedented act of diplomatic folly, Turkey seeks to use the
centenary of the Gallipoli Battle to smother memory of its own mass
killing of the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire by sending invitations
to 102 nations to attend the Gallipoli anniversary on 24th April —
on the very day when Armenia always honors its own genocide victims
at the hands of Ottoman Turkey.

“Those political leaders who will take part in the centenary of the
Battle of Gallipoli in Turkey are either fully aware of the cynicism
of the situation, or pursue only their own political priorities and
interests,” said Sargsyan.

According to him, the problem must be resolved through the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide, after which the heirs of Armenians killed
in he genocide may demand compensations for the damages.

He said a special group of lawyers was set up in Armenia to develop
a package of proposals to eliminate the consequences of the genocide.

“However, the recognition is not a precondition for full normalization
of relations,” said Sargsyan.-0-