November 23, 2001 - 23:23 AMT
THIRD SITTING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH COMMISSION HELD IN TENSE ATMOSPHERE
Third sitting of the so-called Armenian-Turkish Reconciliation Commission was held in New York. The parties have not spread the official statement on the results of the meeting yet, but it became known that the sitting was held in a rather tense atmosphere. In the words of commission member Andranik Mihranian, representatives of Turkey appeared with extremely harsh statements concerning the campaign for international recognition of the genocide of 1915. The Armenian representatives answered the commission should by no means hamper recognition of the indisputable fact of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Empire, otherwise the Armenian members of the commission will have to leave its ranks. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who is in the United States on a visit at present, called on the Armenian members of the body to consider the expediency of continuing the commission activity.