May 2, 2005 - 11:09 AMT
TURKISH PRIME MINISTER LIKELY TO MAKE SECOND PROPOSAL
With a reference to Turkish diplomatic sources, Zaman newspaper reported that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan can propose a tete-a-tete meeting to Armenian President Robert Kocharian during one of international events. According to the newspaper, it will be Erdogan's second proposal after the one on formation of a joint commission for the investigation of the fact of the Genocide. May 9 Robert Kocharian and Recep Tayyip Erdogan will take part in the events dedicated to the 60-th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War as well as in the summit of the Council of Europe in Warsaw May 15-16. According to Zaman, representatives of the Turkish Premier's Administration stated that the Erdogan-Kocharian meeting can be held within the frames of the CE summit. However, no agreement on the place and terms of the meeting has been achieved yet. Zaman notes that it will be the first discussion of the Armenian Genocide to be held by Armenia and Turkey, RFE/RL reported. As PanARMENIAN.Net reporter came to know, the Armenian President's Administration does not possess any information on the possible meeting of the Armenian leader and Turkish Prime Minister. To note, earlier Mr. Erdogan sent a letter to the Armenian President with a proposal to form a group of historians and experts for the investigation of the archives not only in Armenia and Turkey but also in the third states and bring the outcomes of the investigations to the notion of the international community. In his reply letter the Armenian President rejected the proposal and suggested establishing of normal relations without any preconditions.