TURKEY LAUNCHES ARMENIAN-LANGUAGE RADIO

Associated Press Worldstream
April 2, 2009 Thursday 2:04 PM GMT

Turkey’s state-run radio and television institution says it has
launched Armenian-language radio broadcasts in an apparent goodwill
gesture ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey.

The TRT says the first 30-minute radio program featuring news,
music and culture was broadcast Thursday morning and another will be
aired later in the day. The state radio also started Kurdish-language
radio programs Wednesday, following the launch of a Kurdish language
television in January.

Turkey is asking Obama to block a resolution by U.S. lawmakers that
would call the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks almost a century
ago genocide. Ankara says this could harm efforts to improve ties
with neighboring Armenia.

Obama is to arrive in NATO ally Turkey on Sunday.