March 24, 2005 - 09:07 AMT
OSKANIAN: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE INTERNATIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS LIE IN TWO DIFFERENT PLANES
«Turkey is trying to take preventive measure to prevent measures devoted to the 90-th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. However, we will work in the normal regime and we plan to hold many measures,» Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian stated, the Yerkir newspaper reported. In his words, the issue has exceeded the limits of merely Armenian circles and having felt it Turkey opens a wide counteraction front. «However, this front is not directed against Armenia, but against the international community, against the humanity,» the Armenian Minister accentuated, adding that such policy will be futile, as there is one reality and Turkey has to put up with it. «In any case the issue of the international acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian-Turkish relations lie in two different planes and do not intersect. For us the issue of the Genocide is not a precondition for normalization of relations with Turkey. We are always ready to dialogue with the Turkish party, however we will be consistent in the Genocide issue,» the Armenian Foreign Minister said.