October 20, 2006 - 14:37 AMT
Foreigners to Go Through 8 Instances to Receive Permission for Climbing Ararat
"The claims of the Armenian political and military circles to the mountain of Ararat (formally named in Turkey as Agry Dag) and hoisting of the Armenian flag on its top exasperated the Turkish government", reports AT news agency from Ankara. "As a counteraction the administration of the Turkish Prime Minister, the Ministry of Culture of Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Federation of Mountaineers have signed a protocol urging foreign mountaineers to receive a special permission for climbing Ararat. According to the protocol, foreign mountaineers should appeal to all the above-mentioned instances as well as to the governors of the provinces of Agra and Igdir. The appeals will be considered; however permissions will not be granted to people having no connection with sports. The document also limits conduction of foreign scientific investigations on the mountain. It should be noted that these rules do not refer to Turkish citizens, reports IA Regnum.