Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Greece gives full backing to Armenia's anti-Turkey claims
by TURKISH Daily News, 22 Nov. 2000
Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 08:25 pm CST

The Greek president says cooperation with Armenia will be developed to cover the military field and expresses support for Armenia's efforts to get an alleged genocide recognized at an international level

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan met with Greek President Constantinos Stephanopoulos yesterday on the second day of his trip to Greece.

Kocharyan's visit to Greece -- which like Armenia has traditionally had poor relations with Turkey -- comes a week after the European Parliament voted to call on Ankara to recognize an alleged genocide against Armenians early in the last century during the last few years of the Ottoman era. The Parliament's Greek members were instrumental in bringing about the outcome.

Turkey accused the Parliament of deliberately trying to sour its relations with the European Union, strongly denying that a genocide ever happened against Armenians in the Ottoman lands. Relations with Armenia, already at a poor level due to its continuing occupation of Azerbaijani territory in Nagorno-Karabakh, have seriously soured, with the Armenian administration believed to be behind the efforts to get the genocide allegation recognized in some Western countries.

Stephanopoulos claimed that both Greek and Armenian people went through a period of social, cultural and economic deterioration during the Ottoman period.

Referring to a past decision of the Greek Parliament to recognize the alleged Armenian genocide, Stephanopoulos said it was more than a symbolic move, being a "step towards the Armenian people acquiring their historical rights."

He also stated that there was strong cooperation between Greece and Armenia not only in the economic and cultural fields but also in the military sphere. "Such cooperation should not be seen as directed against a third party" said Stephanopoulos, obviously referring to Turkey, and added that the cooperation was only intended to modernize the Armenian army.

Armenia interested in improving ties with Turkey Armenia is interested in improving relations with longtime rival Turkey but the onus for repairing ties lies with Ankara, Kocharyan said on Tuesday.

"We are ... interested in having a peaceful relationship with Turkey," Kocharyan said. "It is not due to us that relations are in this state."

In the meantime, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met on Tuesday with his Greek counterpart Georges Papandreou. According to Oskanian, Turkey's recognition of the alleged genocide would not only improve bilateral ties and positively impact the region, but ultimately could "give great impetus" to Turkey's aspirations to join the EU.

"In order to get over the traumas of the past we must understand and recognize that they did exist," said Papandreou. "This must be seen ... as a healing process. This is not intended to create new problems but it is to be able to overcome them to foster a new atmosphere of cooperation among our peoples."

Greece and Armenia also discussed the prospect of Armenia's induction into European institutions and signed a bilateral agreement for legal assistance.

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