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ANKARA: Sarkisian Rejects Turkish 'Pre-Conditions,' Reconnects With

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  • ANKARA: Sarkisian Rejects Turkish 'Pre-Conditions,' Reconnects With

    SARKISIAN REJECTS TURKISH 'PRE-CONDITIONS,' RECONNECTS WITH ARMENIAN DIASPORA

    Hurriyet
    April 13 2010
    Turkey

    Armenian President Serge Sarkisian (L) as he shakes hands with Turkish
    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. AFP photo

    Armenian President Serge Sarkisian accused Turkey of trying to split
    his country during charged normalization talks, reiterating his stance
    on preconditions.

    "Turkey can't speak in the language of preconditions with Armenia
    and the people of Armenia. We simply will not allow it," Sarkisian
    said late Monday after meeting with representatives of the Armenian
    community in the United States.

    He also visited the grave of the U.S. President Woodrow Wilson at
    the National Cathedral in Washington, who was a vocal supporter of
    independent Armenia.

    Sarkisian met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines
    of a U.S. nuclear summit in Washington earlier Monday and agreed to
    carry out the rapprochement process through regular meetings between
    their foreign ministers.

    However, Sarkisian fiercely rejected any preconditions in talks with
    Turkey. "We are not prepared in any way to question the issue of the
    genocide or to pretend that Turkey may play any positive role in the
    negotiating process for resolving the Karabakh question."

    Sarkisian also accused Turkey of trying to split Armenia and the
    Armenian Diaspora and said the Ankara government aimed to present
    the situation as if there were two different opinions in Armenia and
    the diaspora. "Today we deny the false illusions together. There is
    no difference in the opinions of the Armenians of Armenia and the
    Armenians of the diaspora. There is only a unified Armenian nation
    and it will keep remain true to its just demand," he said.

    Turkey and Armenia signed a landmark deal in October to establish
    diplomatic relations and open their border after decades of hostility.

    But parliamentary ratification of the deal has stalled in both
    countries over tension surrounding claims of an Armenian genocide
    during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Another sticking point is
    Turkey's support of Armenia's enemy, Azerbaijan, which is in dispute
    with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
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