THE ARMENIAN - TURKISH INCURABLE ILLNESS

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“The Turkish society is not ill, the political circles merely attempt to make it ill,” says the Chief of the Turkish Department of the NAS Oriental Studies Institute Ruben Safrastyan. He was invited to the club “Mirror” to participate in the debate on the Armenian - Turkish relations with the member of the “Armenian National Movement” board Hovhannes Igityan.

Unlike his opponent Hovhannes Igityan thinks that the Armenian society has no influence on the Armenian – Turkish relations though today Turkey is a way of earning money for 30 - 40 thousand Armenian families. According to the official data the product circulation between the two countries is 68 million USD and according to non official data – 280 million USD which is equal to the circulation between Armenia and Germany. “The authorities were not elected by our society,” explains Hovhannes Igityan.

Today Armenian genocide is acknowledged by 18 countries but Igityan is not sufficed with this. “The genocide will be acknowledged only in case Turkish society recognizes it as a genocide.” He assures that the Armenian authorities will not achieve any result with their “aggressive” and compulsory policy. Ruben Safrastyan is of different opinion; he considers the RA policy mild and thinks that the issue of the Armenian genocide must be put on the field of the international right. According to the Turkologist Armenia may turn to the UNO or to Hague Court for the recognition of present day Turkey as the successor of the country that realized the genocide. As for the compensation it can be moral (if Turkey apologizes before Armenians), material and territorial. Hovhannes Igityan does not consider it real as according to the Format of Hague Court “Enver and Taleat must be brought to the court.”

The interesting is the fact that in Igityan’s opinion the most dangerous moment will be the perception of the Armenians as their enemy by the Turks. There are about 300000 Armenians in the territory of Turkey.

By the way, being the member of the ANM Hovhannes Igityan on the request of the journalists commented on Vano Siradeghyan’s appearance in the press. He says that there are few political figures making offers today whereas Vano Siradeghyan made. “As it turns out the ANM is not active as it can’t compete in the political field which is not yet fully formed and has different values which don’t allow the ANM to settle on the field with its activity.”