YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan has said that he wouldn’t want Turkey to perceive the opening of the Nemesis monument in Yerevan as neither a foreign policy display nor an unfriendly step.

Simonyan made the comments during a press briefing in Ankara, where he is on a visit for the PABSEC meeting.

“I regret that the installation of the monument received such a reaction in Turkey. I’ve discussed this issue with my Turkish colleague. The decision [on installing the monument] was made in the local self-government body. And I wouldn’t want the installation of the monument to be perceived here as a display of Armenia’s state, foreign policy or an unfriendly step,” Simonyan told Turkish media.

He stressed that foreign policy is conducted by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister in Armenia, and everyone has witnessed the decisions made on these levels in the past months.

“We must realize that reasons or occasions for deteriorating relations can always be found, if desired. I could’ve found a thousand different reasons for not traveling to Turkey. But I am here to tell the Turkish public that Armenia is ready for peace and normalization of relations without preconditions,” Simonyan said.

The Speaker of Parliament noted that Armenia is absolutely sincere in its aspirations and desires for normalizing relations. “If there is political will, a decision to establish relations, we must understand that this won’t be an easy road. But nevertheless, let’s move forward. I hope that our Turkish colleagues will also move forward and we will use this historic opportunity to open a new chapter for us and the region,” Simonyan said.

Turkey has closed its airspace to Armenian flights heading to a third destination in response to the unveiling of the Nemesis monument in Yerevan last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.

Cavusoglu said Turkey would take further steps if the monument is not removed.

The direct flights from Armenia to Turkey are unaffected by the move.

However, Cavusoglu said that "VIP flights" will not be allowed. He said they made an exception for Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, who is visiting Turkey for the PABSEC meeting, Anadolu reported. 

Nemesis was unveiled in Yerevan on April 25 to honor the participants of Operation Nemesis, a 1920s program of assassinations of Ottoman perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide.