UNOFFICIAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA CREATES EXCITEMENT AMONG US OFFICIALS

The recent unofficial chain of meetings between Turkey and Armenia are an important process and are being encouraged by the United States, said American Ambassador to Armenia Michael Lemmon, who has been playing a key role in the formation of business ties between Yerevan and Ankara.

Lemmon, who has taken Armenian businessmen to Istanbul many times, spoke to Turkish journalists visiting Armenia between September 7-11 for the Turkish-Armenian-Azerbaijani Journalists Meeting, entitled "The Role of the Media in Overcoming Regional Conflicts and Eliminating the Enemy Image," Turkish Daily News reports.

Asked whether he defined his role between Turkey and Armenia as a key one, Ambassador Lemmon kept silent. "Silence means confirmation," said a Turkish journalist, drawing attention to the silence of the American ambassador after the question. And Lemmon expressed a very well known phrase to define his role: "Instead of complaining about the darkness, light a candle!"

Spending three years as US Ambassador to Armenia, Lemmon has witnessed the most critical developments in the region. And with the experience of the last three years, Lemmon told Turkish journalists that nothing should be off the table for the unofficial gatherings between Turkey and Armenia.

The thing that was really important was a positive debate and dialogue atmosphere between the average Armenian and Turkish people, he added. "Through this dialogue a mutual understanding, reconciliation and forgiveness can be reached, which are not political but spiritual activities," Ambassador Lemmon said.

"I have been sincerely telling not only Armenia but also the diaspora that I don't agree with the spending of a lot of time for the approval of parliamentary resolutions on genocide. It is possible to form a dialogue between the people but this can be achieved through the efforts of the two sides. An outsider can only encourage or support this. But this is something to be achieved by the Turkish and the Armenian people," the Ambassador said.

Asked to comment on the negative attitude in Armenia regarding the Reconciliation Committee between Turkey and Armenia, Ambassador Lemmon said that they (the US administration) have been supporting the work of the reconciliation committee meeting. "The Armenians think that the representation in the committee for their side was not sufficient," Lemmon expressed. "We are lucky that there is not only one road, but there is a multiplicity of dialogue," Lemmon said, stating that the dialogue should continue through various channels. When reminded that all contacts between unofficial groups were being locked on the genocide issue, Lemmon said that this issue should be handled by serious people, without taking the issue to the public attention, silently.