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ITAR-TASS, Russia
November 29, 2013 Friday 06:21 PM GMT+4
Armenian President urges EU to put pressure on Turkey for recognition
of 1915 genocide
VILNIUS November 29
- EU countries should exert pressure on Turkey in order make it
recognize the genocide of ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in
1915 and to unblock the border with Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan
said Friday as he attended the summit of the EU's Eastern Partnership
format.
"Consistent application of European values may help Turkey in coming
to terms with its own past, as thousands of Turks condemn the genocide
of Armenians today and rise shoulder to shoulder with us to
commemorate its victims today," Sargsyan said.
"With the centenary anniversary of the mass purges against Armenians
getting closer, the Turkish authorities should summon their ability to
display will and to turn down the policy of denying the genocide," he
believes.
"Turkey continues facing a challenge on the road to integration in the
EU as a European country and that challenge is the opening of Europe's
last closed border /the Turkish-Armenian border - Itar-Tass/ and the
establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia," Sargsyan said.
"We expect full engagement of the EU countries as our partners and
their persistence in the elimination of the illegal blockade of
Armenia," he said.
International recognition and condemnation of the 1915 genocide that
took away the lives of 1.5 million people is a priority of Armenia's
foreign policy, since its authorities believe that a policy of this
kind prevents crimes against humanity.
The first genocide of the 20th century has been recognized and
condemned by a number of states.
This problem that been overshadowing relations between Turkey and
Armenia since the latter country declared independence from the Soviet
Union in 1991. The Turkish government refuses to admit the Ottoman
Empire's wrongdoings and sizes them up as legitimate actions towards
the Armenian population of the empire, which sympathized with and
supported Russia amid the flaring World War I.
Armenia and Turkey, which have a 330-kilometers-long common border,
have not established diplomatic relations to date.
November 29, 2013 Friday 06:21 PM GMT+4
Armenian President urges EU to put pressure on Turkey for recognition
of 1915 genocide
VILNIUS November 29
- EU countries should exert pressure on Turkey in order make it
recognize the genocide of ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in
1915 and to unblock the border with Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan
said Friday as he attended the summit of the EU's Eastern Partnership
format.
"Consistent application of European values may help Turkey in coming
to terms with its own past, as thousands of Turks condemn the genocide
of Armenians today and rise shoulder to shoulder with us to
commemorate its victims today," Sargsyan said.
"With the centenary anniversary of the mass purges against Armenians
getting closer, the Turkish authorities should summon their ability to
display will and to turn down the policy of denying the genocide," he
believes.
"Turkey continues facing a challenge on the road to integration in the
EU as a European country and that challenge is the opening of Europe's
last closed border /the Turkish-Armenian border - Itar-Tass/ and the
establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia," Sargsyan said.
"We expect full engagement of the EU countries as our partners and
their persistence in the elimination of the illegal blockade of
Armenia," he said.
International recognition and condemnation of the 1915 genocide that
took away the lives of 1.5 million people is a priority of Armenia's
foreign policy, since its authorities believe that a policy of this
kind prevents crimes against humanity.
The first genocide of the 20th century has been recognized and
condemned by a number of states.
This problem that been overshadowing relations between Turkey and
Armenia since the latter country declared independence from the Soviet
Union in 1991. The Turkish government refuses to admit the Ottoman
Empire's wrongdoings and sizes them up as legitimate actions towards
the Armenian population of the empire, which sympathized with and
supported Russia amid the flaring World War I.
Armenia and Turkey, which have a 330-kilometers-long common border,
have not established diplomatic relations to date.