Author: NT | Date: 15-04-2009 | Print

Sen Arevshatian: we can improve Armenian-Turkish relations but not at expense of national interests

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Lie and falsehood have taken roots in the new generation in Turkey, and it does not permit the Turks to realize the terrible sin of their grandfathers. Sen Arevshatian, a philosopher-historian, academician of the RA National Academy of Sciences, said in his interview to the Ararat Strategic Center. According to center's information, since 2007 December a film is being shown at Turkey's schools on the initiative of the Turkish Ministry of Education, which is about how allegedly the Armenians slaughtered the Turkish people. 600 thousand disks of the film were distributed to schools, and already 12 million pupils have seen it, including pupils of primary classes.

According to Sen Arevshatian, official Yerevan says nothing about this measure because of its inability to fight the falsehood. He considers that the Armenian authorities should introduce an official protest to Turkish government and international instances.

According to the academician, we can improve the Armenian-Turkish relations in a well-considered way, not at the expense of national interests. He considers inadmissible and dangerous Turkey's participation in the construction of a new Armenian nuclear power plant. In S. Arevshatian's words, it will give nothing to Armenia except damaging its national security.

Sociologist Gevorg Poghosian: Turkey and Azerbaijan are permanent partners and carry out the same policy

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN. "Keeping its people in ignorance the Turkish government seriously risks country's future," Gevorg Poghosian, the President of the Armenian Sociological Association, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, professor, considers. Answering questions of then Ararat Center of Strategic Studies, he stated that the show in Turkish schools of a film about mass slaughters allegedly organized by the Armenians pursues the goal of concealing historic truth in order to avoid responsibility.

Answering the question of what conclusions we can draw from Recep Erdogan's statement that Turkey's and Azerbaijan's positions on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict completely coincide G. Poghosian said that these two countries are permanent partners and in essence carry out the same policy. After that statement, as the sociologist emphasized, Armenia can continue the policy of rapprochement with Turkey, but at that, Armenia should absolutely clearly make Turkey understand that such statements are just unacceptable.

As to RA Prime Minister's invitation to Turkey to take part in the construction of a new Armenian nuclear power plant, G. Poghosian stated that it is just a misunderstanding that should be corrected quickly. He said that Turkey's participation in newclear power plant's construction will give Armenia nothing except risks and harm.

According to Haroutiun Arakelian, Armenia and Turkey should solve issue of recognition of Armenian Genocide at European Court

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Ramkavar-Azatakan Party of Armenia (RAPA) has always stated that the current Turkish government is the continuer of the 1915 genocide, RAPA Chairman Haroutiun Arakelian said in his interview to the Ararat Strategic Center.

He said that in general genocides consist of three parts. The first, according to the RAPA Chairman, is preparation, the second carrying out, and the third is cleaning the traces for the crime not to be disclosed. According to the RAPA Chairman, a film about the slaughters allegedly organized by the Armenians was shown at Turkey's schools on the initiative of Turkey's Ministry of Education, which is evidence that the Turks are cleaning the traces of the crime committed by their forefathers.

H. Arakelian also touched upon Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's statement, according to which Turkey's and Azerbaijan's positions on the Nagorno Karabakh problem completely coincide. In response to the question of whether after that statement Armenia should continue its policy of rapprochement with Turkey the RAPA Chairman said that there is no need to reconsider that policy. In his words, relations between Armenia and Turkey should be good-neighborly, but simultaneously Armenia should formulate its claim on the Armenian Genocide to be introduced to the European Court. According to H. Arakelian, as the two neighboring states have chosen European integration as their political course, they should find in Europe answers to the questions they are concerned with.

In response to the question of how he assesses RA Prime Minister's invitation to Turkey to take part in the construction of a new newclear power plant in Armenia H. Arakelian said that he considers it a "statement of a person, who is politically incompetent." In his words, we should not yield to the financial factor irrespective of the fact who gives that finance.

PROFESSOR VERZHINE SVAZLIAN: TURKEY HAS REMAINED LOYAL TO ITS ANTI-ARMENIAN PROGRAMS

NOYAN TAPAN, APRIL 16, 2009, YEREVAN. Judging by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan's statement that Turkey's and Azerbaijan's positions on the Nagorno Karabakh problem coincide we can conclude that Turkey remaining loyal to its anti-Armenian programs wishes to penetrate into Armenia by gaining Armenia's favor. Doctor of Philological Sciences, professor Verzhine Svazlian expressed such an opinion in her interview to the Ararat Center of Strategic Studies. In her words, after that statement of R. Erdogan the Armenian authorities "should not have started relations with their enemy."

V. Svazlian also said that by inviting Turkey to take part in the construction of the new newclear power plant the Armenian authorities yielded to the programs of Western powers.

She also touched upon the film on slaughters allegedly organized by the Armenians distributed among 12 million pupils in 600 thousand copies of disks in Turkish schools, V. Svazlian assessed that step of Turkish government as sowing hostility towards Armenia, a Turkish method of educating pupils in the spirit of hatred.