Cemal Usak: ordinary Turkish citizens indifferent about absence of relations with Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Armenia and Turkey are far from each other in politics and at the same time are very close in culture. Besides, we are neighbors," said Cemal Usak, Secretary General of Intercultural Dialogue Platform. The closed border affects both states but Armenia suffers more, he said.



"From the economic standpoint, open border is not a necessity for Turkey but Armenia needs it not to pay Georgia for transit of Turkish goods. It's a mere political issue. Certainly, I would like to travel directly but not through a third state," Usak said.



"The events of 1915 were a tragedy both for Turkey and Armenia. You lost compatriots, we lost our friends and relatives. In course of 700 years Armenians and Turks lived like friends. The past 100 years made us enemies. But, to be honest, I don't think that ordinary Turkish citizens are concerned about absence of relations with Armenia," Usak said.



Since the middle of 16th century Western Armenia had been under the Ottoman yoke. The first pogroms started under the rule of Sultan Abdul Hamid in 1867 and continued till 1923. The Armenian Genocide claimed lives of 1,5 million of people. Half a million found shelter in different countries throughout the globe, forming the Armenian Diaspora.