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ANKARA: Ankara Conducts Unofficial Diplomacy With Yerevan

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  • ANKARA: Ankara Conducts Unofficial Diplomacy With Yerevan

    ANKARA CONDUCTS UNOFFICIAL DIPLOMACY WITH YEREVAN
    By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara

    Zaman Online, Turkey
    Aug. 31, 2006

    Talks between Ankara and Yerevan, which began last April when Turkish
    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a 'historic letter' to
    Armenian President Robert Kocharian, continue.

    The Armenian side sent an unofficial document to Ankara last
    month reiterating its proposals. While Ankara is examining the
    document, diplomatic sources speaking to Zaman said that the Yerevan
    administration restated its position in its unofficial response.

    The Armenian administration does not agree with Turkey regarding
    the establishment of an independent committee of historians to
    investigate the so-called genocide allegations. "We should first
    establish diplomatic relations," they said.

    Armenian and Turkish diplomats met in Vienna three times last year
    following the correspondence between Prime Minister Erdogan and
    Armenian President Robert Kocharian.

    According to Ankara, no progress has yet been made in the talks. In
    order for the start of diplomatic relations, "a document should be
    signed by both parties concluding that some problems between the two
    countries, including the border dispute, have been resolved".

    However, the parties failed to reach such an agreement in any of
    the meetings in Vienna. In the letter that Erdogan sent to Kocharian
    before April 24 last year, he said "A group of historians and experts
    should investigate the incidents that happened in 1915." Kocharian
    replied by saying, "We should first establish diplomatic relations.

    Then, an inter-governmental commission can discuss the events."

    Ankara did not send a response to this letter at that time.
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