ARMENIAN LEADER WELCOMES TURKISH PLAN FOR CAUCASUS FORUM
Agence France Presse
Sept 3 2008
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian on Wednesday welcomed a Turkish
proposal for a new forum in the volatile Caucasus region in the latest
sign of easing tensions between the historic foes.
Sarkisian was speaking after a meeting with a senior Turkish envoy on
the eve of an expected visit to Armenia by Turkish President Abdullah
Gul that would mark a major breakthrough in ties.
"Armenia has always welcomed and welcomes all efforts directed at the
strengthening of confidence, stability and security, and at deepening
cooperation in the region," Sarkisian said in a statement after meeting
with Gul’s special envoy Unal Cevikoz in the Armenian capital Yerevan.
He added that Cevikoz’s visit "raises the possibility of talks to
settle mutual relations" between the two countries, which have no
diplomatic ties.
Gul could become the first Turkish leader to visit neighbouring
Armenia on Saturday, taking a key step to end almost a century of
animosity over the massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman empire.
A World Cup qualifying football match between the two countries,
which Sarkisian invited Gul to attend, is the excuse for the landmark
encounter.
Turkey has not officially said whether Gul accepted but Turkish media
said he will go and an informed source told AFP that Gul would go to
the Armenian capital for a few hours to attend the match.
NATO member Turkey has called for the establishment of a forum to
boost cooperation in the Caucasus, involving regional countries
and Moscow, after tensions between Georgia and Russia erupted in a
military conflict last month.
Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia
since it became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. The key
reason is Armenia’s campaign for the deaths of Armenian civilians in
1915-1917 to be classified as genocide.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million people were killed in orchestrated
massacres during World War I as the Ottoman Empire fell apart.
Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 300,000 Armenians
and at least as many Turks died in civil strife as Armenians fought
for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading Russian
troops.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
