EU URGES TURKEY, ARMENIA TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS

MENAFN.COM
April 15 2015

MENAFN

(MENAFN – The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) The European Union has
urged Turkey and Armenia to normalize their relations following a
spat prompted by remarks made by Pope Francis over the events of 1915.

EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters in
Brussels on Tuesday: “It is very important in our view for relations
to be normalized as soon as possible between Turkey and Armenia.”

“The (European) Commission encourages both sides to take extra measures
to open the way towards a complete reconciliation,” Kocijancic said.

Pope Francis said on Sunday that “the first genocide of the 20th
century” had struck Armenians a move that prompted Turkey to recall its
ambassador in Vatican and also summon the Vatican’s envoy in Ankara.

Turkey and Armenia disagree on what happened between 1915 and 1923,
with Armenia saying that 1.5 million were deliberately killed and
Turkey saying the deaths did not constitute genocide but were a result
of deportations and civil strife.

“In the context of Turkey’s status as a (EU) candidate country we are
following the issue of reconciliation and normalization of relations
with Turkey,” Kocijancic said.

The European Parliament is set to mark the centennial of said 1915
events in Brussels on Wednesday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress