Turkish foundation seeks to open culture center in Armenia

March 26, 2010 - 16:37 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish foundation wants to open culture center in Armenia. Director General of the Yunus Emre Foundation, Ali Fuat Bilkan, said Friday, once the Protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia went into effect, they desired to open a Yunus Emre Turkish Culture Center in Armenia.

Bilkan said that "if permitted by Armenia, I will go there and open a Yunus Emre Turkish Culture Center. I will not wait for (the ratification of) the protocols".

"Why should not we open up to Armenia? We (Turks) do not have a history to hide, keep secret or feel ashamed of," Bilkan stressed.

We can not base a foreign policy on the concept of friend-enemy. Turkey can establish relations with Armenia easily, Bilkan underlined.

To date, we have opened Yunus Emre Turkish culture centers in Sarajevo, Tirana and Cairo. Today (Friday), we are going to open a Yunus Emre Turkish Culture Center in Skopje. We will open a center in Moscow soon, Bilkan said.

We are also planning to open a center in Greece. The center in Greece will get opened in Athens. The center in Athens will serve those Greek citizens wishing to conduct researches on Turkish culture and language, Bilkan said.

Yunus Emre Turkish culture centers work to promote Turkish language, culture, art and history in different parts of the globe, Anatolian News agency reported.

The Armenian-Turkish Protocols

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “it contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols.” ”The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same allegiance from the Armenian government,” the Ministry said.