The Armenian Sociological Association held a survey among 1000 Yerevan residents between September 21 to 25 to find out Armenian society's opinion of improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations. Association Chairman Gevorg Poghosian said at an October 19 press conference that Armenian society does not accept that issue unequivocally.

According to the survey, 52.4% Yerevan residents is against ratification of the protocols and 40% is against opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. G. Poghosian said that surveys were held in Turkey, as well, and according to them, before signing the protocols the considerable part of Turkish society, nearly 70% was against the protocols, while after the signing that index decreased up to 53-54%. Thus, according to G. Poghosian, Armenian and Turkish societies are not ready for improvement of relations. According to his estimation, the authorities of both countries overcome difficulties to ratify the protocols. "It means that the whole process should have been explained to society in detail. Our and Turkish authorities did not make sufficient efforts in this direction, as a result of which we meet resistance both in Armenia and in Turkey," G. Poghosian said.

In his opinion, for many of RA citizens it is not clear up to the present why Armenia makes such

concessions. In his words, if we mean the blockade Turkey initiated in 1993 to punish Armenia, let Turkey itself open the border.