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 Turkish political parties have promised earlier to include Armenian candidates in their electoral lists for the forthcoming parliamentary elections on 12 June. Currently there is no Armenian candidate to be included in that list. Ismet Sahin from province of Ardvin was among the candidates having Armenian origin. He was believed to run for Kurdish “Peace and democracy” (BDP) party.

“Here people speak Hamshen, and learn Turkish in schools. I learnt Turkish when my family moved to Ankara,” Ismet Sahin said in an exclusive interview with “Ermenihaber.am”

Ismet remembers him doing politics since childhood. “As a socialist intellectual I’ve been fighting for the rights of workers and oppressed peoples. Different magazines and newspapers have been published (“Worker’s life”, “workers and politics” “street” “communist worker”). In 1996 I’ve founded “Pracsis” publishing office and magazines were released. Till today I chair the office and the publication.”

Find the interview below:

- What do you think, why you haven’t been run for parliamentary elections?

- I’ve not received any explanation over it. But “Peace and democracy” party, being a Kurdish party, hasn’t recommended my candidacy to avoid any problems with the government.

- Is there a social need for the rapprochement of Armenian-Turkish relations?

-I’m afraid there isn’t big social need in this respect. Chauvinist and racist wave in Turkey causes deep indifference towards Armenia. But left intellectual part and people in Ardvin, Ardahan, Kars, Igdir, Erzrum are long to have mended relations and opened borders. There people want to have open borders and restored trade-economic life. I think that kind of social need will make the government take efforts.

-When, you think, will the protocols be ratified in Turkish Parliament?

-The mission of Zurich protocols is the development of political, economic, energy, scientific, cultural and other relations on the base of mutual interests. In this respect subcommittees have been formed and in 2 months the border was supposed to be opened. Though being of great significance the protocols weren’t signed under the pressure of Azerbaijan and local retrograde forces. The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh is the key to the ratification of the protocols. The important thing is to differentiate between Karabakh issue and Armenian-Turkish relations.

- What is the biggest problem of modern Turkey?

-Modern Turkey has lots of problems in energy, health, urbanization, unemployment and other spheres. Turkish government has racist approach towards the national minorities. Government forces the national minorities either to become Turks or to die. Government dictates Muslim values to non-Muslims. Armenian community is endangered to be annihilated in Turkey. This approach of racism is the biggest problem of modern Turkey.