TURKEY TO OPEN MONUMENT FOR VICTIMS OF ALGERIAN GENOCIDE
Author: À.Àlekperov
Trend, Azerbaijan
May 16 2006
In response to debates in French parliament on new law draft for
prosecution of persons openly denying Armenian ‘genocide’, Turkey
is seriously considering recognition of genocide committed by France
in Algeria.
Trend’s correspondent in Turkey reports quoting Cumhuriyyet that
among scheduled steps is erection of a monument in memory of victims
of genocide in aforesaid country committed in the years of struggle
for independence, in one of districts of Istanbul.
–Boundary_(ID_BLpLUZrhIfxOuVw19M/Kaw)- –

PARLIAMENTARIANS WARN FRENCH COUNTERPARTS AGAINST PASSING ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL
New Anatolian, Turkey
May 16 2006
Turkish Parliamentarians Union head Hasan Korkmazcan said yesterday
that a bill about the so-called Armenian genocide facing the French
Parliament this week will set a historical test for bilateral
relations, while French Ambassador to Ankara Paul Poudade asserted
that the French government opposes the bill.
The debates about the bill proposing prison terms and fines to those
who question the claims are mounting as the date for debates of the
bill looms.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament yesterday, Korkmazcan
said that all the propaganda steps taken regarding the so-called
Armenian genocide are aiding and abetting terrorism.
Underlining that some politicians who have been trapped by the web of
the Armenian lobby in France, which has a limited political influence,
accepted the Armenian genocide claims, Korkmazcan said that the real
leaders of the slander campaign in France are the underground forces
behind the terrorist Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
(ASALA).
Calling propaganda over the so-called Armenian genocide a crime against
humanity, Korkmazcan said that this crime has been committed by many
Western countries since 1974.
“The bill set to be debated on Thursday extinguishes the human struggle
for the establishment of scholarly research and freedom of expression,”
said Korkmazcan, adding that the Turkish Parliament will take steps
to effectively respond if the bill is passed.
In related news, French Ambassador to Ankara Paul Poudade said
yesterday that the French government opposes the bill. Poudade also
expressed hope that the bill won’t be passed and Turkish-French
relations won’t be harmed.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

LESS-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CLAIMS
Recep Guvelioglu
New Anatolian, Turkey
May 16 2006
The authors of some of the literature referenced in Armenian genocide
claims.
There are many books, mostly from American, British, German and French
sources, being used in the pro-genocide claims. I selected some of them
written by well-known authors. Evaluation of events includes evaluation
of the character of the authors. A well-known British proverb roughly
says that if there is any statement to be discussed, first of all
you should look at who said it and when and where it was said.
3. Arnold Toynbee
A much-respected historian. He wrote the “Blue Book” of the British
government in 1915. In that book, the Ottoman rulers were accused of
committing brutal massacres of Armenians.
Toynbee was an employee of the British Foreign Office at the time
of his anti-Turkish publications. He was under orders to collect
material to write propaganda against Turkey. The resulting book was
published under the name of Viscount Grey of Fallodon, British foreign
secretary, in 1915, under the title of “Treatment of Armenians in
the Ottoman Empire.” It is also known as the “Blue Book.” Toynbee
had never been in Turkey nor had he met the Turks personally when he
edited this book and another small pamphlet in 1915. He first visited
Turkey in 1920-21 during the Turkish-Greek War. At that time he was
professor and chairman of the History of Greek Culture and Civilization
Department at London University, an institution established by Greek
donations. After seeing a Muslim-Christian conflict on the spot and
its effects on the Western world, he changed his mind. He described
his 1915 writings as examples of war propaganda. He became a critic
of the prejudiced, unjust, and ill-informed anti-Turkish propaganda,
and devoted his following publications to correcting this mental
attitude. His first book was “The Western Question in Greece and
Turkey: A Study in the Contrast of Civilizations” in 1922.
4. Viscount Grey of Fallodon
British foreign secretary in 1915. The British “Blue Book” in 1915
was published under his name.
The ignorance of Viscount Grey was legendary, as he was known as the
most ignorant foreign secretary Britain ever had. William Martin
mentioned that Viscount Grey couldn’t tell the Red Sea from the
Persian Gulf (The Statesman of War in Retrospect, William Martin,
New York, 1928).
In the same year of 1915, another book was published, and its author
was Sir Mark Sykes. He was an orientalist who traveled in Turkey and
Armenia with the knowledge of both peoples. He was undersecretary of
state for Middle Eastern affairs and foremost expert of the Foreign
Office for that area. He became a British delegate to a secret
allied conference for partition of the Ottoman Empire between the
three allied powers who also would decide the fate and future of
the Armenians. He was co-signatory of the famous Sykes-Picot secret
agreement. The notes of this secret conference were later published
by the communist government of the USSR.
The name of his book is “The Caliph’s Last Heritage: A Short History of
the Turkish Empire” (MacMillan Co., London, 1915). Although this book
does not touch on the 1915 Armenian relocation (it was written before
it), it deals with the basis and essentials of the Turkish-Armenian
conflict. What is written in the “Blue Book” to discredit and condemn
the Turks and the Turkish administration, the exact opposite is
written in “The Caliph’s Last Heritage.” Again whatever praise and
admiration is expressed about the Armenians and their cause, exactly
the opposite is written in Sir Mark Sykes’ book.
And curiously enough the British Foreign Office left the fate and
future of the Armenians for their postwar partition plans to the hands
of Sykes. The comments of Sykes about the Armenians and Armenian
revolutionaries in this conference caused strong resentment on the
part of Armenians, as expressed by an Armenian historian Richard
Hovannessian (“Armenia on the Road to Independence”).
5. Henry Morgenthau Sr.
Ambassador of the U.S. to Turkey in 1915, wrote the book “Ambassador
Morgenthau’s Story.” According to the Armenian Encyclopedia, he is a
champion of the Armenian cause. He mentioned the Armenian massacres in
his other books also. His publications and campaign for the Armenian
cause had a powerful effect upon U.S. public opinion.
During the period of the 1915 Armenian relocations and their aftermath
(1915-23), two American ambassadors (Morgenthau, in 1912 to the end of
1915 and Abram Elkus, from February 1916 to April 1917), and after the
defeat of Turkey, U.S. High Commissioner Rear Admiral Marc L. Bristol
(1920-24), represented the U.S. in Turkey. Adm.
Bristol later became the first U.S. ambassador to the Republic of
Turkey and served until 1928.
Both Morgenthau and Elkus were of the Jewish faith and were both
known to have strong interest in the Palestine problem and the Jewish
homeland. Since the Armenian relocations started after April 1915,
Morgenthau was in a position to get information only for its first six-
or seven-month period, mainly to the first emotional reaction, fear
and anxiety created in the Armenian community and to the widespread
rumors created by this action. As an emotional man, he was deeply
influenced by these rumors and third-hand information.
Elkus was in a position to obtain information for a period of two
years, from April 1915 to April 1917. Therefore he was in a much
better position to know the real causes, aims, and significance
of the Armenian deportations, and knew much better about it than
Morgenthau. The reports and evaluations of Elkus were very different
from those of Morgenthau. (The characters, political views and
activities of these two U.S. ambassadors to Turkey, particularly in
terms of the Armenian and Palestine problems, were evaluated in a book,
Germany, Turkey and Zionism: 1897-1913, Isaiah Friedman, Oxford, 1977)
Morgenthau was described as a “charming, but over-emotional, erratic
and particularly untactful personality and sometimes acts as a bull
in a china store.” He thought a British victory would provide the
best solution to the Palestine problem and Jewish homeland. He was
strongly in favor of U.S. participation in war on the side of Britain
for a complete defeat of Turkey. As the campaign manager of President
Woodrow Wilson in 1916, he raised the Armenian problem as a moral
issue to convince the U.S. people in favor of war.
Elkus was an entirely different personality and had very different
political views than Morgenthau. He was described as a quiet
but extremely effective diplomat, achieving practical results of
far-reaching consequences. He greatly valued good relations between
the U.S. and Turkey, and restored them to an excellent relationship
which had been in poor shape due to Morgenthau’s lack of tact. He
was against U.S. participation in the war and strongly opposed a U.S.
declaration of war against Turkey and achieved it. Instead of publicity
or agitation, he devoted his efforts to provide help to the relocated
Armenians.
Adm. Bristol was the third U.S. top official to serve in Turkey
during the years of war and its aftermath. He was one of the high
commissioners of the four victorious allied powers in occupied
Turkey. He was in a position to reach and obtain all the records
and documents of the Ottoman government. He was able to see all the
grieved Armenians, their religious community and political leaders
and also all the American missionaries and relief workers who stayed
in Turkey and helped the Armenians during the whole period of war. He
visited the Republic of Armenia and met its leaders and people.
Additionally he played host to two very important American commissions
assigned by President Wilson:
1. The General Harbord Commission – assigned to investigate the
feasibility of a proposed American mandate to Armenia and Turkey.
2. King-Crane Commission – in charge of investigating the aspirations
and wishes of the different various communities of the Ottoman Empire,
including the Turks and Armenians, and to advise President Wilson
for his policy at the Versailles Peace Conference.
Both commissions had staffs of experts including Armenians in each.
The Armenian claims and grievances were thoroughly investigated by
both commissions. His staff members were eyewitnesses to those in
Armenia, and he himself chaired a commission formed by four Allied
military commanders who investigated atrocities and massacres of the
civilian Turkish population by the Greek Army during their invasion
of western Anatolia.
Therefore the whole Turkish-Armenian conflict during and after World
War I was open to Adm. Bristol. All the official reports of Bristol
and Elkus expressed views contradicting the writings of Morgenthau.
(The official reports of these two figures are available for historical
research. Adm. Bristol’s papers are in the Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C. His reports were also used as reference in some
books, for example United States Policy and the Partition of Turkey,
1914-1924, Laurence Evans, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore,
Maryland, 1965; The Partition of Turkey, Harry Howard, New York, 1966;
and An American Inquiry in the Middle East, The King-Crane Commission,
Harry N. Howard, Beirut, 1963.
According to these historical studies, the reports of Adm. Bristol
and these two American commissions of inquiry revealed the
baselessness of wartime Armenian and British atrocity and
extermination allegations. All these also strongly opposed Allied
plans for the future of Armenia and described them as impractical
and impossible. Bristol’s reports were also full of atrocities and
massacres committed by Armenians and Greeks against the Turkish
population. Some reports also strongly warned the U.S. government
against British, Greek, and Armenian political intrigues and violent
propaganda activities.
An anecdote of Talat Pasha
There is an important story mentioned in the book Story of Near
East Relief: 1915-1930 (James L. Barton, MacMillan Co. 1930). When
diplomatic relations between Turkey and the U.S. were cut upon
the U.S. declaration of war against Germany, Talat Pasha promised
Ambassador Elkus that he would let all American missionaries and
relief workers stay in Turkey and continue their relief work for
Armenians. This was done against strong German opposition and despite
very heavy anti-Turkish propaganda organized by the Near East Relief
Agency. It is an interesting example of such a humanitarian gesture
in diplomatic history: A combatant country gave permission to the
citizens of another country fighting against its side to stay, feed,
clothe, treat, educate and give moral support to the people which it
was accused of exterminating. At the same time, because of a great
famine, Turkish people were starving to death.

ARMENIAN FM ALLOWS ORGANIZATION OF A DIALOGUE BETWEEN AZERI, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS
Author: À.Mammadov
TREND, Azerbaijan
May 16 2006
The Armenian Foreign Minister does not rule out a probability
of organization of a dialogue between the Azerbaijani and Armenia
Presidents. But stressed that all will depend on results of the meeting
of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers and the mediators’
forthcoming tour of the region.
Oskanian said that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ visit to the region
was scheduled for late May, Mediamax reports.
The Armenian diplomat stressed that the mediators presented to the
conflict sides some mew ideas, which will be discussed in meeting
with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, to be held this
week in Strasbourg under a meeting o the CE Ministerial Committee.
Any proposal has positive and negative aspects, and all disputable
issues should be resolved during the talks in the course of talks. We
will try to bring closer our positions,” the Armenian FM assured.
–Boundary_(ID_yqjiCL8+pVWOwpnu4Fh6JQ)–

MG OSCE COCHAIRMEN TO VISIT BAKU IN LATE MAY
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND, Azerbaijan
May 16 2006
Cochairmen of Minsk Group of OSCE are visiting Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict region some May 25 to 27, Azeri Foreign Ministry officials
told Trend.
According to the preliminary information, first cochairmen from Russia,
France and the US shall visit Armenia (May 25 to 26), and then head
to Azerbaijan. Diplomats are sharing their lat ideas to heads of
the two countries, which had already been revealed in early May by
Bernard Faciet, cochairman from France.
Jonathan Henick, head of US Embassy press service, confirmed the
intention of MG OSCE’s American cochairman Steven Mann to visit Baku
in late May. However, Henick said, terms of visit are still unknown.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO VISIT YEREVAN – ARMENIAN FM
Author: À.Mammadov
TREND, Azerbaijan
May 16 2006
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are expected to visit Yerevan on
25-26 May 2006, the Armenia Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian told
journalists, Trend reports.
“I expect all three co-chairs to come to Nagorno-Karabakh,” he
underlined.
The same time the Armenian FM said that the signing of any document
as a result of the visit is less probable, taking into consideration
the difficulty of the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
ARKA reports.
–Boundary_(ID_7fOK1rDKscgOAKkXR2fqmA)–

RUSSIA TO RECOVER PLANE’S FLIGHT RECORDERS FROM BLACK SEA
Irish Examiner, Ireland
May 16 2006
Russian authorities today launched an operation to recover the
flight recorders from an Armenian passenger plane that crashed in
the Black Sea.
A robotic device with a hydraulic arm will be used on the sea floor
in a bid to bring up the “black boxes”.
The authorities hope the recorders will help determine the cause of
the May 3 crash of the Armavia Airbus A-320, which plunged into the
sea in heavy rain and poor visibility as it approached the airport
on a flight from the Armenian capital Yerevan to the Russian resort
city of Sochi, killing all 113 people on board.
An official involved in the operation said the recovery device was
lowered from a ship and reached the sea floor, where the recorders
were believed to be lying about five 15 feet apart at a depth of 1600
feet, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

WORKS BY STUDENTS OF PAINTING ACADEMY GYUMRI BRANCH DISPLAYED AT VIENNA SERAFIN PICTURE GALLERY
Noyan Tapan
May 15 2006
GYUMRI, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The students of painting department
of Gyumri branch of Painting Academy presented their works at the
exhibition held in the Austrian city of Vienna in April within the
framework of Mozart’s 250th anniversary. On those days the works were
also being displayed at the Museum of Aslamazian sisters of Gyumri. In
the pictures the students tried to depict different episodes from
Mozart’s life, as well as the period of his lifetime.
For instance, the main subject of pictures by one of the young painters
are Mozart’s music books: “I had his handwritten notes and noticed that
there are drawing elements in them,” he said. According to Hambartsum
Ghukasian, Director of Gyumri branch of Painting Academy, the whole
tour lasted 12 days and the students visited all important picture
galleries and museums of Austria. The exhibition dedicated to Mozart’s
anniversary was organized on the initiative of the Culture Department
of Vienna Mayor’s Office and UNESCO at the Serafin picture gallery of
Vienna. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by Robert Mirzoyan,
representative of the Culture Department of Vienna Mayor’s Office,
the department has a long history of cooperation with Gyumri branch
of Painting Academy and of closer cooperation with the Painting
Academy itself.
Mutual visits of students and lecturers of Gyumri branch of Painting
Academy and Vienna painting academies are also planned in the future.

ABOUT 50 DANCERS OF ARMENIAN FOLKDANCES FROM 8 COUNTRIES IN YEGHEGNADZOR
Noyan Tapan
May 15 2006
YEGHEGNADZOR, MAY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Speacialist of folkdances,
Dutch Tineke van Geel tought Armenian folkdances in 15 countries
of the world. He was these days in Yeghegnadzor with his group’s
about 50 members representing 8 countries. “I think that one must
see that country national dances of which he performs. And our visit
to Yeghegmadzor is provided by the circumstance that we want to get
acquainted with the Armenian people, its traditions closer what is not
possible only within the capital,” T. van Geel said in the interview
to the Noyan Tapan correspondent. The guests arrived in Yeghegnadzor
by the invitation of Canadian Armenian Antuan Terjanian who lives
in Yeghegnadzor now. To the accompaniment of the zourna (Armenian
national woodwind musical instrument) and dhol (Armenian national
music instrument), with the “Yeghegnadzor “Salmast” folk songs and
dances ensemble, the group members performed numerous folkdances with
great enthusiasm. But foreign guests’ curiosity towards Armenia was
not limited just by study of Armenian dances and their performance:
they were present at the ceremony of baking lavash (Armenian national
bread), got acquainted with works of local painters, sculptors and
gobelin-makers during the exhibition-sale. During the one-week visit,
they got acquainted with the Armenian history, culture, visited places
of interest. “I think that the next year members of our group would
already like to visit Armenia personally what will support development
of the local tourism,” Tineke van Geel mentioned before leaving.

ARMENIAN ECONOMIST SAFARYAN: ‘TURKEY SHOULD MAKE INVESTMENT IN ARMENIA’
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
May 16 2006
Jan SOYKOK (JTW) – Armenian Economist Aram Safaryan told Turkish
daily Milliyet that the Armenian businessmen have no problem with
the closed-Turkish borders, but the Armenian people (middle and poor
classes) suffers a lot.
“There is no diplomatic relations, the borders are closed. However
everything is open for the Armenian businessmen. But the problem is
that not all of the Armenians are businessmen” he added.
Aram Safaryan is economy analyst and producer of a program in Armenia’s
Canal 2.
Safaryan argues in Milliyet that the trade between Turkey and Armenia
is annually 120 million US dollars. Turkish expert Dr. Sedat Laciner
on the other hand argues that the figure reaches about 200 million
dollars every year.
Safaryan continues:
“The annual trade between two countries is 120 million dollars.
Armenia exports about 1 million dollars good to Turkey, while it
imports 119 million dollars goods from Turkey. Does Turkey want
to change this balance! However 49 percent of my country lives in
poverty level.
Safaryan argues that both countries should establish direct relations:
“Neither US nor the EU could bring both countries together. Turkey
looks at Armenia as it looks at its Armenian society in Turkey.
However Armenia is an independent country. If Turkey abandons policy
of getting US or American support and if Turkey abandons the policy
of dominating the Middle East, it will enter the EU faster. Armenia
should not be a market for Turkey’s chip goods. Armenia should not
wear dresses that no one wears in Turkey.”
Safaryan further said that “Turkey should make investment in
Armenia”. He added:
“There is no room for small investment in Armenia. However there
is great need for bigger investments here. Armenia devotes about
50 million dollars every year for the high tech investments. Turkey
could establish a Silicon valley like in the US. Turkey could make
investments in energy area. However as far as there is no diplomatic
relations, the sources are being wasted.”
Safaryan says that 80 percent of the PVC used in windows, almost 100
percent of good made from paper materials and 100 percent of chocolate
come from Turkey.
Safaryan argues that Turkey has to find a solution for the ‘genocide’
issue:
“Turkey should recognize the right of existence of Armenians who
once lived in those territories. These people should have the right
to live in those territories with the condition of not seeking those
territories… Those territories (Eastern Turkey) are not like we
left behind. People have good dreams regarding those territories
because there is a ban. However if they go there, they would return
in 15 days. Yet a revolution would be done in Armenian mind, and the
hostility era would be closed down. Thus we can protect our common
history and what left behind this history”.
“THERE IS NO BAN”
Turkish experts share Safaryan’s many ideas, however they say that
there are still some biases and misinformation in his interview. Dr.
Sedat Laciner for instance does not agree that there is a ban for
Armenians to enter Turkey:
“Turkey is a free country and all of the borders are open for anyone.
Turkey-Armenia territorial borders are an exception. However Armenians
can visit Turkey by airplanes, and they do in fact.
Actually more than 50,000 Armenia Armenians live and work in Istanbul
and some other Turkish cities. Most of them work illegally here
and Turkish people employ them. Many of them are baby sitter, which
means that Turks trust Armenian illegal workers a lot. Apart from
the Armenia Armenians many Armenians come from Northern America and
Western Europe to visit the Armenian historical monuments in Turkey.
No one has disturbed any Armenian yet. In fact no one understand that
you are an Armenia as long as you do not mention. No Turk wants to
kill an Armenian or insult him or her. There are great differences
between politics and real life. Turkish people are ready to make
trade with Armenians from anywhere”.
“ALL ARMENIANS ARE WELCOME HERE”
Dr. Nilgun Gulcan on the other thinks that Armenia needs more than
Turkey needs Armenia:
“Armenia is a tiny country. If there was no ‘genocide’ claims, no one
gives importance to Armenia. In fact even today no one cares Armenia
state in Turkey. It does not affect Turkish economy or politics. Just
2,5 million people, a tiny country with no significant natural
source. Turkey has more interests in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia and
Iran. Armenia could be neglected, and Turkey loses very little from
ignoring Armenia. Armenians have to understand that Turkey is a giant
near Armenia and Armenians should benefit from this giant market.
However they prefer to start a combat against Turkey. If they do
prefer a real dialogue, they would get more even in the ‘genocide’
issue. Turkey is a more open country than Armenia is. For example,
I cannot travel to Armenia. No Turk defending Turkish perspective
could go to Armenia. A Turkish historian was in Armenia last year and
spent months in an Armenian prison. You can find any Armenian book
in any big Turkish bookshop. Almost all ‘genocide’ literature have
been translated Turkish language. We clearly understood what the
Armenians think about the 1915 Events. But Armenians have no idea
about Turkish perspective. They do not listen. They think that, if
they listen to the Turks, they would commit a great sin. All Armenians
are welcome in Turkey. Turkish people are against secret political
agendas. If you want territories they live on, of course they would
be against your ideas. But we are not in a war, and there are millions
of foreigners in Turkey. More than 200,000 Germans, British etc. live
in Turkish coasts. They have houses, they work here and they plan to
die in these territories. Armenians of course have all the rights a
British has. If Armenians want to live in Ararat or Van, they should
come and establish a life here instead of insulting us”.
ARMENIAN DIASPORA
Davut Sahiner similarly says that Armenians are welcome in Turkey.
Dr. Sahiner invites all Armenians to live and to make investment in
Turkey. Yet he has very little hope:
“If Armenian diaspora had made investments in Turkey and in Armenia
for more than a decade, about 500,000 Armenians would have lived in
Anatolian territories. They do not want any solution because they
are good with their problems. Armenian Genocide Claims create heroes
in Armenian diaspora. There are many Armenian politicians etc. whose
only income source is Armenian peoples sorrows. Some of the Armenians
make a lot of money from the Armenian issue. This is an industry.
Armenian Genocide Industry. Armenian Diaspora does not care Armenia’s
economic or political problems. They do not come to Armenia. They
want to live in US or in France. The diaspora Armenians can combat
against the Turks till the last drop of Armenia Armenians’ blood.”
Dr. Laciner argues that Armenia could be rich country in couple years
if Turkey and Armenia could give up discussing the disputes of a
century ago:
“Nothing wrong in discussing the past. The problem is we are
sacrificing today for the past. If Armenia and Turkey solved the
genocide debate 15 years ago, Armenia would have been a rich country.
Turkey is a great market and a bridge for European routes. Armenians
are talented traders, and the Armenian workers are high-skilled. Both
Turks and Armenians could have made Anatolia and Caucasus a better
place to live in. However the ultra-nationalist Armenians, Russia
and diaspora have manipulated the Armenian politics and led Armenia
to disasters. When Russia looks at Armenia, it sees only a military
base and people to be abused economically and politically. That’s all.
Diaspora is happy with the existing problems. They are against
opening the borders, even dialogue with the Turks. If you do refuse
to speak how can you solve your problems. And the ultranationalist
groups like Tashnaks want more and more territories. Territory is
nothing if your people are suffering. Principle should have been
‘first people’, not ‘first territory’. Turks lost an empire and no
one in Turkey wants more territory. We have enough territory and
Armenians have enough territory too. Armenians cannot use properly
the existing tiny Armenia, and ultranationalist Armenians want more
and more. Let’s say, let’s imagine that whole Eastern Anatolia was
given to tiny Armenia… If Armenia expands more the Armenians would
be minority in their country. All Armenians should remember that there
are more than 100 million Turks around and about 3 million Armenians.
We cannot solve our problems by killing each other. We have to learn
to live together.”
Safaryan’s interview was translated to English language by JTW staff.