Genocide is a recognized fact, and we must not back down because of  Turkey`s stance - Robert Kocharyan

ArmInfo. The Armenian Genocide is a recognized fact, and Armenia should not back down because of Turkey's approach; consistency must be maintained.  Robert Kocharyan, second president of Armenia and  prime ministerial candidate from the Armenia bloc, made this statement on April 24, speaking to journalists during a visit to the Tsitsernakaberd  memorial complex.

He noted that Ankara's position is nothing new and he sees no signs  of it changing. "This does not mean we should compromise," the former  president emphasized.  Kocharyan noted that during his presidency, a  number of countries recognized the Armenian Genocide, and, according  to him, consistent efforts in this direction are yielding results. He  also stated that he had always advocated for establishing relations  with Turkey without preconditions. He said that after the victory of  Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party, then-Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah  Gul, at a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian,  declared Ankara's readiness to normalize relations.  Kocharyan said  that he had mentioned that episode in his book.

He emphasized the need for the state to consistently and persistently  work in this direction. He added that in recent years, the  authorities have been moving away from this policy, as, he believes,  has happened in the case of Artsakh. "We have already seen the  results. This issue requires patient work, the use of all possible  tools, and preventing the growth of hatred, especially considering  that we are talking about a large neighbor with whom we want to  restore relations," Kocharyan stated. When asked about the  Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's objection to the burning of the  Turkish flag during a torchlight procession in Yerevan, he wondered  whether Turkey had its own foreign policy department. "I'm not a  supporter of flag burning.  However,  it's a form of protest in  politics and  around the world. If one state hurts another, it's an  expression of protest," he noted.