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Obama: U.S. To Be Constructive In Turkey-Armenia Talks

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  • Obama: U.S. To Be Constructive In Turkey-Armenia Talks

    OBAMA: U.S. TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE IN TURKEY-ARMENIA TALKS

    Xinhua General News Service
    April 6, 2009 Monday 2:55 PM EST
    China

    U.S. President Barack Obama, who is currently on a state visit to
    Turkey, said on Monday he was encouraged by the dialogues between
    Turkey and Armenia aimed at improving ties, promising Washington will
    be as constructive as possible on the improvement of their ties.

    At a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul
    after hour-long talks, Obama avoided a clear-cut answer to an American
    journalist's question that whether he has changed his position of
    calling the killing of Armenians during the World War I as "genocide"
    as stated in his election campaign in 2008.

    "I'm not to focus on my view now, but on the views of the Turkish
    people and Armenian people," Obama answered.

    He said as Turkey and Armenia are having "serious negotiations" that
    could bear fruit quickly, "I will be as encouraging as possible,"
    adding the world should also encourage them.

    Armenians claim that more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed
    in a systematic genocide in the hands of the Ottomans during World
    War I, before modern Turkey was born in 1923. But Turkey insists the
    Armenians were victims of widespread chaos and governmental breakdown
    as the 600-year-old empire collapsed in the years before 1923.

    After Obama's remarks, Gul said the Armenians were mainly killed in
    internal clashes, adding the issue is not a political issue, but a
    historical one.

    He said Turkey has suggested to set up a joint historians commission
    to resolve the issue, which also welcomes the participation of a
    third country, such as the United States. "We are ready to face the
    realities, the facts," said Gul.

    He noted that Turkey's goal is to normalize relations with Armenia,
    and has initiated some dialogues for this purpose.
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