Why Do Turks Commemorate Armenian Genocide Now? Artak Shaqaryan

Turkish intellectuals recognizing the Armenian Genocide may become a ferment which will enable to re-change the Turkish society, Turkologist Artak Shaqaryan said at a press conference today, adding that Armenia too should spend relevant efforts to create favorable conditions for the recognition of the Genocide.

Shaqaryan did not rule out that the movement by those Turkish intellectuals might have been created by the authorities in an attempt to show as if Turkey has changed and as if there is pluralism in the country.

At the same time, according to Shaqaryan, there may be another variant: that movement might be fighting not in favor of Armenians but against the Turkish elite.

"They may be representatives of left-ring powers who are using the Armenian Cause against Ankara," said he.

Shaqaryan believes that the rallies held by 500 thousand Turks in the centre of Istanbul should not be considered as if Turkey has changed its stance over the Genocide issue, though it cannot be denied that there is some progress over the issue: it would be impossible to organize such rallies in solidarity of Armenians.