PanARMENIAN.Net
Turks keep questioning themselves about Armenia’s further demands upon
Ankara’s recognition of Genocide
21.02.2009 16:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ For the last 1.5 years dramatic changes have
occurred in Armenian-Turkish relations, including the attempts at
improvement of relationships, which have never been made before, the
member of Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Director of Institute
of Philosophy, Sociology and Law Gevorg Poghosyan told a news
conference.
"In 2005 public opinion polls were conducted in Armenia and Turkey to
analyze relationships between Armenian and Turkish people. According
to poll results, there were few who believed any improvement was
possible", the sociologist said.
"According to poll results, Armenians have a clear perception of the
Turks. Turks’ perception of Armenia and Armenians is rather
indistinct. They maintain normal attitude towards their neighbor’s
being an Armenian, whereas Armenians assume a negative attitude toward
the possibility of their neighbor’s being a Turk," Gevorg Poghosyan
emphasized.
"This fact is accounted for Armenians having been the victims of the
Turkish government. Besides Armenians have no previous experience of
co-residing with Turks. The Armenian People have a psychological
complex concerning their relationships with the Turks. The complex is
deeply- rooted as it has been passed on from generation to
generation. Turks keep questioning themselves about Armenia’s further
demands upon Ankara’s recognition of the Genocide. This issue became a
pressing one," the sociologist said.
"A new public opinion poll is planned in September 2009. In his
opinion, the results of the new poll to be publicized in November 2009
will register significant differences as compared to 2005," he said.
"In 2005 around 20% of Turkish population knew or spoke about the
Armenian Genocide, and now their number grew dramatically. In the past
many people excluded the possibility of opening the border between
Armenia and Turkey and today the issue is being actively discussed,"
Gevorg Poghosyan said.