Erdogan Hopes to Establish Friendly Relations with Armenia

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a meeting with Ara Gochunyan, editor of Armenian ‘Jamanak’ daily, that he hopes Turkey will manage to establish friendly relations with Armenia.

Ara Gunchyan told Armenpress that during the meeting on the 100th anniversary of ‘Jamanak’ daily, published in Turkey, Mr. Erdogan noted that Turkey does not have any hatred toward any state.

‘Today we started a new round with the states, we had confrontations with during our history. We have already established friendly relations with them. I do hope that we will manage to do the same thing with Armenia,’ Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

As to the issue of national minorities, Mr. Erdogan said they undertake steps in that direction and that temporary solutions are not involved in their projects. ‘The issue should be solved fully. Those serious issues cannot be solved in a day,’ the Turkish Prime Minister said. He added that in the recent period Turkey has carried out a number of reforms, adopted new constitution, which ‘will become a new tool in the way of democratic development of the country’.

He also mentioned that his statement about banishing the Armenians, living in Turkey illegally, was distorted. ‘I did not mention about the Armenians, migrants from Armenia. I did not use the ‘Armenians, living in Turkey illegally’ expression in my speech. My statements were distorted by national and international mass media for latent purposes. Illegal employee, migrant, tourist, citizen and legal employee – these are different phenomena. My expressions are quite clear. If one tries to understand it frankly, he will see that there is no issue,’ Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

He said the Turkish-Armenian community is their ‘important and valuable heritage’. ‘I follow with appreciation the struggle of the Turkish-Armenians for peace and prosperity of Turkey. We work for the whole 73-million-population of our country,’ he said.

The meeting with Ara Gochunyan was held November 9 in Ankara. The Turkish Prime congratulated the editor of the daily on the 100th anniversary of establishment.

According to Ara Gochunyan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a warm address to the Armenian community of Turkey and touched upon two issues – election of the Patriarch of Constantinople and whether ‘Jamanak’ daily is spread in Armenia or not. Ara Gochunyan informed that the issue of election of the Patriarch remains uncertain and the Armenian community of Turkey keeps focus on it. Ara Gochunyan also noted that they have established strong cooperation with Armenian mass media.