Yesterday RA FM Vardan Oskanyan answered the questions of journalists connected with the Holy Cross church on Akhtamar island and Turkish FM Abdullah Gyul’s statement in the press. He says that it would be incorrect not to have participated in the opening presentation of the church. Mainly, the members of the ARF think that we should not have taken part in that occasion. “There are different views, but we should not forget the fact that it is an Armenian monument and it belongs to us,” said Mr. Oskanyan. “We had to be present there in some way so that we could show to the world that this is an Armenian monument, and not to let Turkish propaganda grow. I think our presence was very important in an island that is strategically so important. We did this, and showed to the world that we have lived there, and lived there for ages.” Oskanyan says that if Turkey had placed a cross on the cupola of the church, Armenia would have been represented there more officially, and that the St. Echmiadzin (Mayr Ator) delegation would have also been there. Concerning Abdullah Gyul’s statement in the press, Oskanyan said that Armenia’s policy remains the same, and that Turkey should open the border with Armenia. To note, recently Gyul published a statement in the Washington Times, where he petitioned Armenia to found a commission of historians to investigate the history. In the article that was entitled “Politicizing the Armenian tragedy” Gyul criticized the Armenian lobby and said that he was sorry that the fact that in the same period Muslims and Turks were killed as well was missing. “The only opportunity to ascertain the true historical events of 1915 is asking the specialists that can work objectively with all the necessary original data of that period. Turkey does not have problems with its past. We are waiting for a positive step from Armenia, which is to agree to found a commission of specialists and with the responsibility of agreeing with the conclusions of that commission,” said Gyul. “Today there aren’t any serious reasons and definitions to keep the border closed,” Oskanyan said, answering Gyul’s statement, adding, “The two countries will have a normal relationship if Turkey opens the border. It will be possible to start a dialogue and find constructive solutions only after opening the border.”
