Turkish Daily News: Turkey may miss second chance to normalize relations with Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - The inauguration of Akhtamar St. Cross Church on March 29 will not be an opportunity for the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia and Turkey will miss the second chance for rapprochement after the assassination of Hrant Dink, reports the Turkish Daily News.



In the eve of a resolution proposed to the U.S. House of Representatives for the Armenian Genocide recognition, Ankara was ambitious for the opening ceremony of Akhtamar Armenian Church. Turkey aimed to prevent passage of the resolution and planned to show the respect of Turkish society to different cultures and religions by opening Akhtamar Church.



More than 200 Armenians from New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Ottawa and Paris were invited in addition to the Armenians from Yerevan including the clergymen and representatives of non-governmental organizations who attended Dink's funeral. The invitations were prepared in coordination with the Turkish-Armenian's Patriarch, Mesrob Mutafyan, said the Turkish sources. Just a week before the ceremony, Turkey is now suspicious about the attendance of Armenians.



Despite the invitation it is still unclear whether Armenian Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosian will attend the inauguration of the newly renovated 10th century Akhtamar Church and Yerevan did not give an answer to the invitation conveyed by the Turkish Embassy to Tbilisi. In response, Ankara adopted a low profile policy on Akhtamar, saying, "There is no need to exaggerate, we are opening historical places every year."



Akhtamar Church or the Church of the Holy Cross is a ruined Armenian Church in Van of Eastern Anatolia. The expectations of Armenians were not realized said Kaan Soyak, the co-chairman of the Turkish-Armenian Business Council. Soyak criticized Turkish foreign policy for being addicted to Azerbaijan and expressed the disappointment of Armenians for not opening the Turkish-Armenian border for inauguration day.



Turkish sources on the other hand argued a direct flight between Yerevan and Van airport is impossible saying, "It is not possible to sustain security measures in Van because of technical reasons."



Ankara invited the Patriks and Metropolits of Damascus, Aleppo, Moscow, Bukresh, Beirut as well as the five Orthodox representatives from Yerevan. In that context, head of the Armenian Orthodox Church Garegin II was invited by the governor of Van, Niyazi Tan. "Garegin II will not attend because he only got a note for the invitation, the invitation was not sent," said the TDN sources who are in contact with Yerevan. Turkish sources on the other hand asserted that it is not intentional and it is false.
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