The Armenian and Turkish diasporas have recently shown a new tendency – not only stepping up lobbying, but also politicizing their communities in different countries by getting involved in the political processes there, Coordinator of Hay Dat offices, Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARFD) Giro Manoyan, told NEWS.am.

He believes it is a new challenge to Armenia, the Armenian Diaspora and lobbyist organizations. But the Armenian people may benefit from the process as well, he said. “For example, in many countries political forces agree to include Turkish candidates in their slates, demanding, however, that the candidates accept the policy denouncing the Armenian Genocide, which is quite logical,” Manoyan said. In this context, he said, the politicizing of Turkish and Armenian communities may have both positive and negative consequences for Armenians. He stressed the need for keeping pace with the developments and meeting the challenges. “In any case, we should not get panicky,” he stated.

The ARFD Bureau member Levon Mkrtchyan addressed the issue at the conference of Hay Dat Committees in Yerevan. He stressed that the Turkish and Azerbaijani diasporas are trying to intensify their activities by building up their diasporan organizations “according to the Armenian pattern.” According to him, they have also stepped up their efforts to cause a split within the Armenian Diaspora. The ARFD Bureau discussed the issue as well.

T.P.