“Strangely, it is not Armenia that sets preconditions for Armenian-Turkish normalization, but Turkey – the successor of the Ottoman Empire that committed genocide,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan told reporters today in response to a question about what should be expected amid Turkish FM’s claims that Armenian-Turkish relations would not be normalized without a settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
In his words, it would be strange to look for logic in recent rhetoric of Turkish diplomacy concerning not only Armenia-related issues, but other problems as well.
As regards the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the question about whether commemorative events will be held at the same pace this year or the centennial was the reason for such large-scale commemorations, Nalbandyan noted that in 2015 the events were audible throughout the world.
“On the 50th anniversary of the Genocide, a dark page in our history, the tragedy was not much discussed outside Armenian circles. But now we can say that the Armenian Genocide has gained worldwide recognition thanks to common efforts that the Armenians have made during these years. Consistent work will not stop after the anniversary. We will continue consistent efforts with the Armenian people and the international community to achieve recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and prevent new genocides,” the minister said.