TURKISH-ARMENIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL CHAIRMAN SUGGESTS THAT TURKISH OFFICIALS START NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE ARMENIAN LOBBY IN THE U.S.

PanARMENIAN.Net - 13.09.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. "The Armenian lobby is very powerful in the United States, and it is very difficult for Turkey to combat this lobby", declared today Turkish-Armenian Business Council Chairman Kaan Soyak in the interview to Turkish Daily News paper, commenting upon the discussion of the question of the Armenian Genocide in the US Congress, to be held this Thursday.

Soyak thinks Turkish officials should meet their Armenian counterparts and the representatives of the Armenian lobby instead of opposing those groups. "The sides will be able to find some points of compromise when they discuss their problems with each other," said Soyak.

Diplomatic sources in Turkish foreign ministry also told the TDN that "if Armenians want to set up good relations with Turkey, they must first end their so-called genocide campaign against Turkey and halt their occupation of Azerbaijani territories. These are Turkey's two conditions". -0-