Sarkisian calls on Turkish leader to take ‘decisive steps’
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has reportedly
called on his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul to take "decisive
steps" toward normalizing the two countries’ relations that have
been strained for decades.
Sarkisian wrote in a letter to Gul that Turkey and Armenia’s initiative seeking to achieve reconciliation is currently in the spotlight of the international community, Armenia Today news agency reported.
"A historic chance has indeed emerged, and this is realized not only by us but the whole world," the Armenian president’s letter says. "Efforts of world powers playing a role in regional developments are of tremendous value for mending bilateral relations. I am confident that without their mediation it would be difficult to move forward."
Sarkisian said the presidents play the key role in overcoming stereotypes between the Turkish and Armenian people and fostering the environment of mutual trust.
"We can achieve result only by having faith in what we do, being resolute and principled. Otherwise, when the words and actions contradict one another, this causes lack of confidence and opens up a broad field for the activity of the opponents of this process," the letter said.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds for decades, and the border between the two countries has been closed, since 1993, due to Armenia’s policy of occupying Azerbaijani territory and Armenian claims of World War I-era genocide in Ottoman Turkey. In a bid to end hostility, the two governments signed protocols in Zurich on October 10, 2009 to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their borders. However, the documents require parliamentary ratification, and Ankara has made clear that it could normalize ties with Yerevan only after the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has been fairly settled.*
Sarkisian wrote in a letter to Gul that Turkey and Armenia’s initiative seeking to achieve reconciliation is currently in the spotlight of the international community, Armenia Today news agency reported.
"A historic chance has indeed emerged, and this is realized not only by us but the whole world," the Armenian president’s letter says. "Efforts of world powers playing a role in regional developments are of tremendous value for mending bilateral relations. I am confident that without their mediation it would be difficult to move forward."
Sarkisian said the presidents play the key role in overcoming stereotypes between the Turkish and Armenian people and fostering the environment of mutual trust.
"We can achieve result only by having faith in what we do, being resolute and principled. Otherwise, when the words and actions contradict one another, this causes lack of confidence and opens up a broad field for the activity of the opponents of this process," the letter said.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds for decades, and the border between the two countries has been closed, since 1993, due to Armenia’s policy of occupying Azerbaijani territory and Armenian claims of World War I-era genocide in Ottoman Turkey. In a bid to end hostility, the two governments signed protocols in Zurich on October 10, 2009 to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their borders. However, the documents require parliamentary ratification, and Ankara has made clear that it could normalize ties with Yerevan only after the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has been fairly settled.*
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