Recognition and condemnation of Armenian genocide stems from Turkey's interests

YEREVAN, March 18. / ARKA /. Recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide stems from Turkey's interests, because with such past it can not move forward, chief of Armenian president’s staff, Vigen Sargsyan, told an international media forum in Armenia today.

He said unlike any other genocides, the Armenian Genocide is being denied to this day. 

'So, we can say that the genocide continues for as long as it is not officially recognized and condemned. Modern-day Turkey continues the policy of denying the Armenian Genocide,  and this leads to a repetition of this crime, like in the Middle East and Africa," said Sargsyan.

He said Turkey is pursuing a hostile policy towards Armenia, seeking to create economic problems for it, by keeping  its border with Armenia closed and trying that way to exert pressure on Armenia in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is not related to Armenian-Turkish relations.

"Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is an important fact for Armenia, however, it never raised this issue as a precondition for the establishment of relations with Turkey," said Sargsyan.

At the same time, Sargsyan pointed out that the civil society in Turkey  is getting stronger with every passing year openly speaking  about the need to recognize the Armenian Genocide. He said  also in an unprecedented act of diplomatic folly, Turkey seeks to use the centenary of  the Gallipoli Battle to smother memory of its own mass killing of the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire by sending invitations to 102 nations to attend the Gallipoli anniversary on 24th April — on the very day when Armenia always honors its own genocide victims at the hands of Ottoman Turkey.

"Those political leaders who will take part in the  centenary of the Battle of Gallipoli in Turkey are either  fully aware of the cynicism of the situation, or pursue only their own political priorities and interests,"  said Sargsyan.

According to him,  the problem  must be resolved through the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, after which the heirs of Armenians killed in he genocide may demand compensations  for the damages.

He said a special group of lawyers was set up in Armenia to develop a package of proposals to eliminate  the consequences of the genocide.

"However, the recognition is not a precondition for full normalization of relations,"  said Sargsyan.-0-