Ankara believes Armenian President declared war against Turkey?

July 29, 2011 - 16:36 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sinan Ogan, member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey from Igdir and chairman of the Center for Strategic Studies of Turkey, characterized Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement as “territorial claims on Turkey and declaration of war.”

Ogan believes the Turkish leadership should take tough steps that will also include new sanctions in response to Armenian President’s remarks. Ogan аlso suggests a new international initiative to “liberate Azeri lands”, basically meaning renewed war in Karabakh, Azer Tac reported.

Hysteria stirred by Turkey is of an ostentatious, artificial character, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said, commenting on Turkish Prime Minister’s “criticism” of Armenian President’s statement referring to historic Armenian lands.

“I believe, Turks failed to read the full text, interpreting President’s words out of context. Serzh Sargsyan’s statement is serious and reasonable. The only reason Turkey refuses see sense behind it is because the country doesn’t need it,” Kocharyan said.

Turkish side was critical of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s reply to the question of Armenian school student, who asked if the return Western Armenia, along with Ararat is possible in future.

As the President replied, “it depends on you and your generation. I believe, my generation has fulfilled the task in front of us; when it was necessary in the beginning of the 90-s to defend part of our fatherland – Karabakh – from the enemy, we did it. I am not telling this to embarrass anyone: my point is that each generation has its responsibilities and they have to be carried out, with honor. If you, boys and girls of your generation spare no effort, if those older and younger than you act the same way, we will have one of the best countries in the world. Trust me, in many cases the country’s standing is not conditioned by its territory: the country should be modern, it should be secure and prosperous, and these are conditions which allow any nation to sit next to the respectable, powerful and reputed nations of the world. We simply must fulfil our duty, must be active, industrious, must be able to create bounty. And we can do that, we very easily can do that, and we have done it more than once in our history. I am certain about it, and I want you to be certain too. We are a nation that always rises from the ashes like phoenix – again and again.”