Chairman of the Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan believes that Turley’s invitation to 102 world leaders to attend ceremonies marking the centenary of the Battle of Gallipoli in Çanakkale, on April 23 and 24 is, in fact, a challenge.

Thus Turkey has got involved in the processes related to the Armenian Genocide centennial, Mr Navasardyan told Tert.am.

“This step should have been expected. It is for several years that Turkey’s authorities have been preparing for the Armenian Genocide centennial. And now, besides its traditional set of instruments, they have put forward an argument that the tragedy did actually occur. That is, they have modified their denial policy with an emphasis on a great number of victims, but it is the entire world – not Turkey alone – that is responsible for that. A war was raging.

“We have to meet challenges in that the world has been invited to decide between which side – Armenian or Turks – is attaching importance to April 24. Since the invitation has been sent out to many world leaders, it is up to them to decide between participating in events in Yerevan and Turkey. By making their choice they will show their attitude to Yerevan and to Turkey, as well as to the two nations’ leaders,” Mr Navasardyan said.

He hopes that the international attention will be focused on the Armenian Genocide centennial.

“I would not like to be too pessimistic, but this attention will, to an extent, be diverted,” Mr Navasardyan said.
According to him, different attitudes, with negative hints, are being shown to Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan. Regrettably, in recent years, Armenia has not shown any steps to evoke a positive response.