YEREVAN, APRIL 23, ARMENPRESS: The statement by the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan upon the Armenian Genocide is unprecedented since the state official of Turkey for the first time uses the word “genocide” and expresses condolences to the Armenian people. By the assessment of the Turkologist Hakob Chakryan, before that the issue of the Armenian Genocide was considered to be taboo in Turkey and no Turkish official ever raised the issue of the Armenian Genocide. By the assessment of Chakryan, Erdogan made such a statement as he realizes that the Turkish denial policy does not operate any longer. “The processes upon the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide assure that the Turkish denial does not have any results and yields its position. This makes Erdogan to take some steps to change the situation. In this way Erdogan makes a step forward and tries to act in the role of initiator,” Chakryan  said in a conversation with Armenpress.

Reacting on the finishing part of Erdogan’s message where he hints to resolve the issues through the commission of historians, Chakryan recalls that the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. “Therefore, the question does not refer to the historians. In other way, the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide would be adopted not by the United Nations, but by a prestigious historical-scientific Institute. This is a political issue, and if Turkey has any objections in this connection, it should solve it with the UN. By the way, Turkey signed the UN Convention too, 24 countries, and international organizations recognized the Armenian Genocide and  based on the obligation of its signature, Turkey must think about the recognition but not offer the Armenian side to establish a Commission,” Chakryan said.