Turks Continue To Beg...shamelessly

[Siamanto]

Armenian Assembly of America

122 C Street, NW, Suite 350

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 202-393-3434

Fax: 202-638-4904

Email: info@aaainc.org

Web: www.armenianassembly.org

�

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2004

CONTACT: David Zenian

E-mail: zenian@aaainc.org

 

ASSEMBLY RESPONDS TO TURKISH INVITATION FOR DIALOGUE

 

Washington, DC - The Armenian Assembly leadership this week told a senior

Turkish official it was ready to resume dialogue, but not during the month

of April and not until a critical assessment of Turkish policy since the

last exchange in June of 2003.

 

Responding to an invitation by Ambassador Ecvet Tezcan, Assembly Board of

Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian said dialogue without results is

meaningless and therefore it was imperative to "lay out our objectives"

prior to any future discussions.

 

"The Armenian Assembly of America appreciates your invitation on behalf of

your Foreign Ministry to continue our dialogue begun last June in New York,"

Barsamian said in his reply to Ambassador Tezcan.

 

"While our organization remains committed to continuing our full and frank

exchanges on issues that presently divide us, the next meeting cannot take

place during the month of April as you propose. As you are well aware, this

solemn month for all Armenians is a time for remembrance of the Armenian

Genocide. Your government's inexplicable denial policy remains unchanged,

making it impossible to convene this month," Barsamian added.

 

Similar meetings with Tezcan in June last year in New York and Los Angeles,

that included in LA representatives from the Armenian General Benevolent

Union (AGBU), and the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of America,

underscored the community message that Armenian-Americans are united in

their insistence that Turkey deal with the issue of the Armenian Genocide,

establish normal relations with Armenia that are not dictated by the

Azerbaijani position on Nagorno Artsax and end restrictions and pressure

on the Armenian minority in Turkey.

 

After the June discussions, then-Assembly Board of Directors Chairman Peter

Vosbikian said while there was no breakthrough, it still provided an

opportunity for a "frank exchange of views" which "at minimum ... will

prevent Turkey's friends from using an outright refusal to meet against us

in their lobbying in Capitol Hill."

 

"Turkey now needs to validate its dialogue and positive statements with

deeds on all of the historic and contemporary questions that comprise the

Armenia-Turkey agenda," Vosbikian said.

 

But nearly ten months since the last face-to-face encounter, there has been

no change in Turkish attitudes or behavior.

 

"I know that you concur that dialogue without results is not in anyone's

interest, and we need to lay out objectives prior to meeting. Your

government's statements and actions on the Armenian Genocide since last

June, the lack of movement on opening the border with Armenia despite calls

from the Bush Administration and the European Union to do so, and, the

failure to implement minority rights reforms, indicate that our dialogue

must be more urgent and result oriented," Barsamian said.

 

"Our organization looks forward to a more focused process that begins to

deal with these and other pressing issues on our common agenda," Barsamian

added in is response to the latest invitation for a new round of dialogue

with the Turkish side.

 

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide

organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian

issues. It is a 501©(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

 

 

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NR#2004-033

 

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg84232.html

[America-Hye]

There is only one solution to their dilemma, coming clean, which is something they seem unable to do. Every old Turk knows exactly what happened but the subject is a national taboo. They want to enter the EU and get beyod the past, yet want it all swept under the rug.