“If it’s permitted to make a rally against the President, it means it’s also permitted to make a rally against President’s guest as long as those rallies are within civilized manners,” Kiro Manoyan, Head of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun office of Hay Dat and Political Affairs announced today.The events related to Turkey’s President Abdullah Gull’s visit are inevitable. 

He mentioned that it’s not every day we evidence Gull’s arrival in Armenia and we can’t miss our chance to introduce our views to him. “His visit doesn’t make any changes. We will raise the existing issues between Armenia-Turkey relations with the help of our political activities and do hope they will be solved. Turkey’s President should be aware that we don’t take his visit as a big “favor”. I think we will be understood right both by Armenian people, and by Presidents of Armenia and Turkey .

 

Mr. Manoyan also mentioned that Turkey had encountered problems with Armenia starting from the very first day of Armenia’s Independence. In political outlook of Turkey, there has been no Armenia since 1920. They have never imagined that there can be an independent Armenia next to them. After Armenia had got independence, they started thinking the only independent Armenia they can stand is poor, miserable and dependent on Turkey. The easiest way for them is not to have any relations with Armenia. We believe in starting frank discussions of issues between the two countries without applying military force and without pre-conditions.

 

Mr. Manoyan doesn’t consider the recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide by Turkey a prerequisite put by the Armenian side and he grounds, “We don’t put conditions, but how can we start relations with a country, which committed a sin against humanity by realizing the 1915 Genocide and now doesn’t accept it?” How will Gull’s visit be reflected on Armenian-Turkish relations and Nagorno-Karabakh issue? Replying to this question, Kiro Manoyan pointed out, “Turkish incentive derives from the outlook that the policy which they started in 1993, that is Armenia blockade, and setting pre-conditions, hasn’t been justified.” I’m not doubtful that we should yield to Turkey. If Turkey stops talking to Armenia in a manner of ultimate conditions, there can be changes in relations. Otherwise, I don’t see any sense in his visit. It will not result in any consequences.

 

Finally Mr. Manoyan, reminded us that when our Patriarch visited Turkey, there were rallies, even eggs were thrown at him. However he assured us that the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun will not meet Gull with eggs.