De Waal: Inviting Turkish authorities to Genocide centennial was clever and positive move
Thomas De Waal, expert at Carnegie Institute, has commented on the invitation made by the President of Armenia to the President of Turkey to visit Armenia in 2015.
“I think this is a clever and positive move from the Armenian government, inviting the Turkish authorities to be part of the Genocide centennial, rather than outside it. It follows a clever and positive move from prime minister Erdogan when he offered condolences to the Armenian people—even if he did not make a full apology,” De Waal told Panorama.am.
De Waal does not expect that either side will change its position on the Genocide and 1915; neither does he expect that the Turkish president will accept the invitation. “But at least we are seeing a competition in positive gestures, rather than a competition in negative statements,” he added.
Related: Serzh Sargsyan invites next President of Turkey to Yerevan to confront history