Armenia Hopes Turkey EU Process Will Open to Doors to Genocide Debate

Posted GMT 11-25-2006 2:11:29
Assyrian International News Agency

By Jean Christou
Cyprus Mail

Armenia said yesterday it hoped Turkey's accession to the European Union would lead to more honest and open debate on issues such as the Armenian genocide.

Speaking to reporters during his official visit to Cyprus, Armenian President Robert Kocharian said Turkey's path to Europe would likely influence relations between the two countries.

He said that once Turkey had expressed its wish to include itself in the EU, it should mean normalisation of relations with its neighbours, including Armenia.

"Consequently, the issue of Turkey's accession course interests us and we are waiting to see it become what it should become. This will certainly influence Armenian-Turkish relations," Kocharian said.

The Armenian president also commented on the recent difficulties in French-Turkish relations after Ankara said it was suspending bilateral military ties with Paris

It was the latest step in a row over whether Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915, after the French National Assembly approved a bill criminalising denial of the Armenian genocide.

Kocharian avoided commenting on the row, but welcomed moves by the international community to recognise genocides and hoped that one day Turkey could join the ranks.

"We believe the process of Turkey's accession to the EU will lead to a more open and honest debate in Turkish society where people can express their opinions," Kocharian said. "I know this a difficult process. I also know that the international community, in recognising the various genocides that have taken place, all contribute so that these matters can move forward to the point where there is understanding of such things."

Kocharian also said that "Armenia would like to see a speedy solution to the Cyprus problem", following his meeting with President Tassos Papadopoulos.

Papadopoulos said that discussions with his Armenian counterpart covered a wide range of issues, aiming at developing the bilateral co-operation, in the fields of education, tourism, bank sector, and culture. He also expressed the belief that Armenians who live in Cyprus would pave the way for new areas of co-operation, and accepted an invitation from Kocharian to visit Armenia in 2007.

Prior to the meeting, an agreement was signed between the two governments on co-operation in combating organised and other forms of crime, which was initialled by Justice Minster Sophocles Sophocleous and his Armenian counterpart Davit Harutyunyan.

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