AAA: Ankara must not link Armenian-Turkish relations with other issues

PanARMENIAN.Net - The position of the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) in respect to Armenia-Turkish reconciliation remains the same: in the XXI century there should not be closed borders, but Turkey, in turn, must make serious steps towards Armenia and does not link the Armenian-Turkish relations with other issues, Arpi Vartanian , the regional director of AAA in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, told journalists in Yerevan.



"Following the promulgation of the "road map" Ankara has not made any serious steps to develop the process. On the one hand, Turkey shows that the Armenian-Turkish process is supposedly very important for them to, but on the other it contradicts to itself, Arpi Vartanian said.



Turkish officials have come out with trivial and even improper to their ranks statements, including the recent statement by Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan that the Armenian President may wish to go by plane to watch the return match, " Arpi Vartanian said.



"There is still time to ensure that Turkey makes a step towards Yerevan, while the President of Armenia may wait to announce his decision by early October," Arpi Vartanian said.



Return match between the national football teams of Turkey and Armenia in the qualifying round of 2010 World Cup will be held on October 14 at the Ataturk Stadium in Bursa.