October 13, 2009 - 19:45 AMT
Linking of Karabakh issue with normalization of Armenian- Turkish relations to lead to negative results
The problems in Armenian-Turkish relations should be speak out openly, Karen Bekaryan , member of the Public Council, head of the European Integration organization said during the Yerevan-Ankara-Moscow video-conference "The new geopolitical situation in the East: Armenian-Turkish rapprochement, problems and realities".

"Our Turkish colleagues are well aware how difficult to establish any relations with Turkey for a country which underwent Genocide and is still fighting against its denial. How difficult to establish relations without preconditions, when Ankara lays down preconditions, " Karen Bekaryan said.

According to the expert, if Turkey continues to make statements on Karabakh, it would negatively affect the independence of the settlement process. "In recent years, it became clear that all statements of Ankara on the matter make the process of resolving the problem more radical. Linking the resolution of the Karabakh issue with the process of normalization of Armenia - Turkey relations could lead to negative consequences for the two processes, " Karen Bekaryan said.

According to him, it would be nice if Turkey looked at the Karabakh problem in a different light - the return of Armenian refugees in Anatolia and granting them compensation. "Only in this case we can say that Ankara has a moral right to speak about the Azerbaijani refugees and the return of territories around Karabakh to Azerbaijan", the expert said.