Turkey Angry at Yerevan Over ‘Land Claim’ Remarks


Prosecutor General of Armenia, Aghvan Hovsepyan

ANKARA—The Turkish foreign ministry issued a statement Saturday slamming Armenia’s Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan, who last week said that Turkey must return all churches and territories as fair reparation for the Armenian Genocide.

Speaking at the conference of Diaspora lawyers on July 5, Hovsepyan said, “Indeed, the Republic of Armenia should have its lost territories returned and the victims of the Armenian Genocide should receive material compensation. But all these claims must have perfect legal grounds.”

“I strongly believe that the descendants of the genocide must receive material compensation, churches miraculously preserved in Turkey’s territory and church lands must be returned to the Armenian Church, and the Republic of Armenia must get back its lost lands,” added Hovsepian.

The Turkish foreign ministry deplored the statement saying: “Such a declaration made by an official occupying a position as important as that of Prosecutor General reflects the prevailing problematic mentality in Armenia as to the territorial integrity of its neighbor Turkey and to Turkish-Armenian relations and also contradicts the obligations it has undertaken towards the international organizations of which it is a member, particularly the UN and the OSCE. One should be well aware that no one can presume to claim land from Turkey.”

Turkey-Azerbaijan War Games
Turkish and Azeri armed forces launched joint military exercises on July 12 aimed, according to a statement released by the Turkish General Staff “at strengthening cooperation between the two countries.”

Land forces of the Turkey and Azerbaijan will be involved in the war games in which an infantry division will be involved in the Baku exercises and a mechanized infantry division will take part in exercises in Nakhichevan.


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