ARMENIAN TURCOLOGIST CALLS THE BLACKMAIL AND THREATS BY ANKARA TO PREVENT INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE A TRADITIONAL TURKISH POLICY
arminfo
2007-08-28 16:47:00
The blackmail and threats by Ankara to prevent international
recognition of Armenian Genocide are just a traditional Turkish
policy. One should take it easy, Director of Oriental Studies
Institute, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, turcologist Ruben
Safrastyan said at a briefing in Yerevan.
As regards the recent tension between Turkey and Israel because of
the initiative of an influential Jewish organization of the USA –
Anti-Defamation League (ADL), on possible recognition of Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, R. Safrastyan said the threat of Turkey
is political and not military. "Turkey is the only ally of Israel
that is actually isolated in the Middle East. Naturally, Turkey takes
advantage of this circumstance," he said. R. Safrastyan also added
that when the relations of Israel with the Jewish lobby in the USA
became tense, Turkey threatened the Jewish community in Istanbul.
"Turkey uses this circumstance as well. It is part of the Turkish
policy and diplomacy. I perceive such policy of Ankara as a traditional
Turkish policy, and I think this normal," he said.