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WIKILEAKS: KOCHARIAN SIGNALED READINESS TO TALK TO TURKEY BACK IN 2005
PanARMENIAN.Net
August 25, 2011
PanARMENIAN.Net - According to the information published by
whistleblowing website Wikileaks, in a letter to Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan dated April 25, 2005 Armenia's President Robert
Kocharian stated readiness to normalize relations with Turkey.
"As two neighbors, we both must work to find ways to live together
in harmony. That is why, from the first day, we have extended our
hand to you to establish relations, open the border, and thus start
a dialogue between the two countries and two peoples," Kocharian wrote.
As U.S. ambassador to Armenia John Evans said in a classified
diplomatic cable, "concerns are caused by several factors." "The
letter was immediately distributed in the U.S. Congress with the clear
implication that the process of 'rapprochement' and 'reconciliation'
are underway and that any U.S. action (such as a Congressional
resolution [on the Armenian Genocide]) are unnecessary," amb. Evans
said. "The Turkish penal code still penalizes citizens for using the
term 'genocide' in the Armenian context," he continued.
Nevertheless, amb. Evans said, President Kocharian's letter reiterated
the Armenian position: Armenia is ready to discuss any issue, at the
intergovernmental level. "Armenia has no preconditions to establishing
relations and opening borders. All bilateral problems and issues,
including Genocide, can be discussed once relations are established,"
he said.
"Turkey uses three different excuses to explain their maintaining
closed borders. One is Armenia's insistence on Genocide recognition.
The second excuse is that Armenians have not reaffirmed Turkey's
territorial integrity. The third excuse is the still unresolved
Nagorno Karabakh conflict," the diplomat noted.
On August 22, 2011, Turkey's Grand National Assembly has withdrawn from
the agenda 898 bills, including the Armenian-Turkish protocols signed
in 2009. The new Turkish parliament considers that the issue of opening
of border with Armenia is no longer actual for the country's political
course. Besides, in compliance with the parliament's regulations,
a bill that was rejected by the parliament loses its legal force
during six months.
From: Baghdasarian
PanARMENIAN.Net
August 25, 2011
PanARMENIAN.Net - According to the information published by
whistleblowing website Wikileaks, in a letter to Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan dated April 25, 2005 Armenia's President Robert
Kocharian stated readiness to normalize relations with Turkey.
"As two neighbors, we both must work to find ways to live together
in harmony. That is why, from the first day, we have extended our
hand to you to establish relations, open the border, and thus start
a dialogue between the two countries and two peoples," Kocharian wrote.
As U.S. ambassador to Armenia John Evans said in a classified
diplomatic cable, "concerns are caused by several factors." "The
letter was immediately distributed in the U.S. Congress with the clear
implication that the process of 'rapprochement' and 'reconciliation'
are underway and that any U.S. action (such as a Congressional
resolution [on the Armenian Genocide]) are unnecessary," amb. Evans
said. "The Turkish penal code still penalizes citizens for using the
term 'genocide' in the Armenian context," he continued.
Nevertheless, amb. Evans said, President Kocharian's letter reiterated
the Armenian position: Armenia is ready to discuss any issue, at the
intergovernmental level. "Armenia has no preconditions to establishing
relations and opening borders. All bilateral problems and issues,
including Genocide, can be discussed once relations are established,"
he said.
"Turkey uses three different excuses to explain their maintaining
closed borders. One is Armenia's insistence on Genocide recognition.
The second excuse is that Armenians have not reaffirmed Turkey's
territorial integrity. The third excuse is the still unresolved
Nagorno Karabakh conflict," the diplomat noted.
On August 22, 2011, Turkey's Grand National Assembly has withdrawn from
the agenda 898 bills, including the Armenian-Turkish protocols signed
in 2009. The new Turkish parliament considers that the issue of opening
of border with Armenia is no longer actual for the country's political
course. Besides, in compliance with the parliament's regulations,
a bill that was rejected by the parliament loses its legal force
during six months.
From: Baghdasarian