YEREVAN. – We can speak about an Armenia-Turkey discourse solely when Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide.

Non-pro-government Prosperous Armenia (PAP) Party National Assembly Faction Secretary Naira Zohrabyan told the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am, commenting on the recent statement made by Turkey FM Ahmet Davutoglu.

“If Turkey is truly fair in its actions, it should have the courage to recognize the historical facts. Moreover, Turkey cannot sit at the negotiating table by distorting historical facts and not calling it like it is.

“The rest that will be said by the Turkish authorities, who continue the genocide with softer measures, will not become a matter for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations,” Zohrabyan specifically said.       

In his article published in The Guardian, Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu had stated:

“What is also true is that the dispute over why and how the Armenian tragedy happened, sadly, continues to distress Turks and Armenians today. Communal and national memories of a pain, suffering, deprivation and monumental loss of life continue to keep the Armenian and Turkish peoples apart.

“National memories are important. However, could Turkish and Armenian narratives not come closer together, could a ‘just memory’ not emerge? Believing this can happen, Turkey proposed a joint commission composed of Turkish and Armenian historians to study the events of 1915. The findings of the commission, if established, would bring about a better understanding of this tragic period and hopefully help to normalise our relationship.”