YEREVAN. – Armenian-populated town of Kessab will for a long time remain hotbed of tensions in the region, turkologist Ruben Melkonyan told reporters on Thursday.

“This can be explained by the reason that the region is located near the border with Turkey, which being a gendarme of the West, opened corridor for endless flows of terrorists-Islamists to Syria,” Melkonyan said.

Besides, he noted that Ankara  is carrying out anti-Armenian policy within the framework of political game of world and regional powers.

“Deportation of Armenians without a chance to pick up, looting their property and burning homes are components of Genocide, which is taking place with the tacit connivance of the West,” he said.

In this regard he pointed out cynicism of Turkish Foreign Ministry statement showing willingness to grant asylum to the Armenian population of Kessab.