KAAN SOYAK: U.S. AND RUSSIA KEY PLAYERS IN NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.09.2008 18:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Arrival of Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul
in Yerevan was an important and resolute step. The fact that he
invited Mr Sargsyan to Istanbul is no less important, chairman of
the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council Kaan Soyak, said
in a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"We never thought that President Sargsyan will invite his Turkish
counterpart to Armenia and that Mr Gul will accept the invitation. But
it happened. I should mention that the internal political situation
in Turkey did not affect the President’s decision. Moreover, judging
by publications in Armenia and Turkish press, the public in both
states welcome normalization of relations and opening of the border,"
he said and added, "I am hopeful that Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to
Istanbul in 2009 will be another step toward normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations."

"We are neighbors. The region should be secure and peaceful. This
refers not only to South Caucasus countries but also to Syria, Iran,
Iraq and Lebanon," the TABDC chairman said.

U.S. and Russia are key players in normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations, according to Mr Soyak.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul was in Yerevan on Sept. 6 to watch
a World Cup qualifier between the Armenian and Turkish national
teams. He invited his Armenian counterpart to a return match due in
Istanbul in October 2009.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress