news.am, Armenia
March 12 2010
Mandela said relations’ establishment does not imply disavowal of
history: A. Kirakosyan
15:58 / 03/12/2010Armenia always stands for normalization of relations
with Turkey without preconditions and this stance is reflected in
Armenia-Turkey Protocols, RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan
said at the 73rd NATO PA Rose-Roth seminar in Yerevan.
According to him, Protocols contain no preconditions. `Our initial
goal was to create favorable conditions for further normalization of
Armenia-Turkey relations. But it does not imply Armenia’s intention to
deny Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, I repeat Ottoman Empire, not Turkish
Republic. Once Nelson Mandela said that establishment of relations
does not mean disavowal of history. Three million Armenians
disappeared in Ottoman Turkey in the beginning of 20th century, and no
one knows what happened to them, what is this if not a Genocide,’ he
stated, adding that international recognition of Genocide contributes
to prevention of similar crimes against humanity in the future.
Kirakosyan recalled that Armenia did not lay down this issue as
precondition in Armenia-Turkey relations’ normalization. `Armenia is
ready to ratify the Protocols, while Turkey unfortunately sets forth
preconditions, linking normalization of bilateral relations with
Karabakh peace process,’ Deputy FM stressed.
However linking these processes of different origin and solution means
jeopardize both of them. `Nevertheless, Turkey seeks to artificially
intensify Karabakh peace process in favor of Azerbaijan,’ Kirakosyan
noted.
A.G.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
