Republican Party of Armenia

On February 16 the NA Vice President Hermine Naghdalyan had a meeting with the reporters of about ten Turkish media. Welcoming the Turkish journalists’ visit to the Armenian Parliament, Hermine Naghdalyan greatly highlighted the importance of such initiatives in terms of providing contacts between the Armenian and Turkish peoples, expressing confidence that we can and should talk about the most complicated problems every time.

Thanking for the warm reception the representative of Hrant Dink Foundation Bursu Beserman, who arrived in Armenia with the delegation, noted that the annual journalistic mutual visits organized by the Foundation, are genuinely a big opportunity with respect to having progress in the Armenian-Turkish relations.

During the question and answer session one of the Turkish journalists expressed his surprise that only two days had been left to the presidential elections in Armenia, and it was so calm and peaceful in the streets: no disorder had been noticed. In response to that the NA Vice President noted that it was the evidence of the big work that it had happened in Armenia on the path of democracy. “In the past, visiting different European countries, we were surprised how peaceful that most important event was held. Today in Armenia it is also like that,” commented Hermine Naghdalyan, adding that it was due to the consistent work.

Touching upon the issue of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, the NA Vice President has noticed that not only Armenia and international community expect steps from Turkey, but also, to her deep conviction, the very Turkish people. She also told the Turkish journalists that the Armenian-Turkish protocols continued to remain on the agenda of Armenia’s National Assembly, though numerous times a proposal had been sounded to withdraw them. Hermine Naghdalyan has stressed that Turkey is the only European country that keeps closed borders with another country, and at the same time has expressed hope that the new generation of the Turkish society will finally look at the problem in another way.

The reporter of Today’s Zaman Mustafa Edib Yilmaz has noted that he personally feels big grief regarding 1915 events, adding that today there is a genuine Renaissance in the Turkish society: the new generation has begun asking questions. He was also interested in the fact if the steps taken by the Armenian authorities are unequivocally accepted by the society. In response to that, Hermine Naghdalyan has noted that by all means there are also other opinions, but the RA authorities could pass the path of trust in order the decisions and steps will be perceivable and admissible for its own people. The NA Vice President also has expressed conviction that happy is the leader, who acts in the name of his society, takes steps, which dictates his people’s mind.

The Turkish were also interested in the issues of the frame of the Armenian-Turkish relations, for example, about the conditions for women in the Armenian political field. Hermine Naghdalyan has noted that her example, is perhaps the best answer: Armenian woman has a big potential and opportunities to reveal herself both in political career and in family.

The NA Vice President also answered the journalists’ other questions.