Armenians of Greece opposes signing of the Armenian-Turkish ProtocolsOctober 6, 2009 - 20:40 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - ARF Dashnaktsutyun Central Committee of Greece held a political meeting in Athens on October 5. During the meeting representatives of the Armenian community of Greece have expressed their protests in connection with the protocols on normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations. Ara Mankoyan introduced anti-Armenian provisions of the Protocols and urged not to sign the Protocols. "Protocols must not contain items suggesting that the Armenian side abandon territorial claims. These protocols should not turn the fact of the Armenian Genocide into subject of discussion and should not be connected with the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, " Ara Mankoyan said. He stressed that the Protocols contain all above mentioned preconditions. According to him, establishment of good neighborly relations between Armenia and Turkey is unrealistic in the given circumstances. "Why has the Armenian leadership had such a position in respect to Turkey, especially given that Turkish officials do not speak of even minimal guarantees of peaceful coexistence? Turkey in a hurry to sign the Protocol in order to show the world that it is a country seeking to establish good relations with neighboring countries, and thus to overcome the resistance of the countries opposing its membership in the EU, " Ara Mankoyan said. After the meeting, members started collecting signatures against the adoption of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols, Azad Or Athens newspaper reports. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Pasadena to host Armenian Genocide commemoration event The Pasadena Armenian Coalition will host its community-wide Armenian Genocide Commemorative Event. Armenia: Opposition activist transferred to Investigative Committee Activist Samvel Vardanyan has been accused of insulting the lawmaker Hakob Aslanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party. Former Pashinyan envoy urges end to Genocide speculation Marukyan has urged authorities in Armenia stop discussions about verifying the names of 1.5 million victims. Azerbaijan, Jordan sign deal on defense cooperation Azerbaijan and Jordan have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of defense, according to an official statement. |