ISTANBUL (A.A) - 06.05.2002 - The Turkish and Armenian Journalists Initiative meeting which started in Istanbul on Sunday within the scope of Turkish-Armenian-Azerbaijani Journalists Initiative, continued on Monday.
The attendees discussed the issue of overcoming reciprocal prejudices between the two nations in the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Milliyet newspaper writer Sami Kohen said that there are no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia, but this should not constitute an obstacle for journalists to have contacts.
Kohen stressed that journalists have to inform the public opinion well and contribute to easing of tension between the countries.
Kohen said that there are more difficult problems in Turkish-Greek relations such as Aegean and Cyprus problems than the relations between Turkey and Armenia, adding that the exchange of information and red-line formed by Turkish and Greek journalists in this tense atmosphere could be taken as example.
Kohen stressed that the relations between journalists of the two countries should be institutionalised.
Samvel Mayrapetyan, the Armenian Prometheus TV Director said in his part that the solution of conflicts is not that easy which can come true only by dialogue of journalists, yet continuation of this dialogue without any precondition will be beneficial.
Director of Armenian Mediamax News Agency Ara Tadevosyan said in his part that it is important to access the firsthand information and that exchange of journalists for a week or 15 days will contribute to two peoples' knowing each other.
Journalists said during the meeting that such kind of initiatives contribute to their understanding each other in a better way and noted that they learnt during these contacts that the word ''genocide'' is a sensitive issue for both sides, not only for one side.
Chairman of Association of Diplomacy Correspondents Yusuf Kanlý said in his part that they didn't have the claim of solving the problems between the two countries when they started such an initiative.
Kanlý said that the sides started to understand each other better as a result of these meetings.
Rober Haddejiyan, the owner of newspaper in Armenian ''Nor Marmara'' which is published in Istanbul said in his part that the meeting is very important for members of the Armenian press in Turkey, adding that ''we are representatives of the press which knows very well the views of both the Turkish and Armenian sides. There are no other two nations in the world which know each other so well, but they know each other in the wrong way.''