Turkey keen on ties with Armenia

Al Jazeera
Friday 29 April 2005, 20:33 Makka Time, 17:33 GMT

Turkey broke diplomatic ties with Armenia in 1993

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was reported as saying Turkey was ready
to build “political relations” with neighbouring Armenia despite their
disagreements over history and territory.

Turkey broke off diplomatic ties with the ex-Soviet republic in 1993
over Armenia’s occupation of territory inside Azerbaijan, a regional
Turkic-speaking ally of Ankara.

Ankara also angrily rejects Yerevan’s claims that 1.5 million
Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World
War One. Turkey says the Armenians were victims of a war which claimed
even more Muslim Turkish lives.

But Erdogan, worried the genocide issue could harm Turkey’s plans to
start European Union entry talks in October, recently urged Armenia to
help set up a commission of historians from many countries to
establish what really happened.

Mending fences?

Erdogan renewed that invitation in an interview with Milliyet
newspaper, adding: “On the one hand, political relations could be
established. On the other hand, work (on the archives) could
continue. There is no Chinese Wall between us.”

Armenians say 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman Turks

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said this week he was ready to
accept Erdogan’s proposal for a joint commission to probe the genocide
claims but he also said it was necessary to improve broader relations
first.

Erdogan did not mention the possibility of restoring full diplomatic
relations, but his comments were the clearest sign yet that Turkey
wants to mend fences with Armenia.

Some EU politicians, notably in France, home to western Europe’s
largest Armenian population, have said Turkey should recognise the
alleged genocideof Armenians before being allowed to start accession
negotiations with the wealthy bloc.

Historians must decide

But German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is due to pay an official
visit to Turkey next week, ruled out any linkage between the start of
EU entry talks and the Armenian question.

“It’s very important for a nation to look at its history with an
attitude of self-criticism”

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder

“This (recognition of genocide) cannot be a precondition. This is
about bilateral relations. It’s for the historians to decide (what
happened),” Schroeder told Turkey’s NTV commercial television in an
interview broadcast on Friday.

He also praised Erdogan’s offer to open up Turkey’s archives on the
period and his call for an international commission.

“It’s very important for a nation to look at its history with an
attitude of self-criticism,” Schroeder added.

Borders closed

He said an expected vote in the German parliament in the coming weeks
on a resolution concerning the alleged genocide should not upset
relations between Ankara and Berlin.

Turkey has in the past threatened countries that do recognise the
massacres as a genocide with diplomatic sanctions.

All countries aiming to join the EU are required to strive for good
relations with their neighbours.

But despite the signs of a possible thaw in relations, diplomats say
Turkey is unlikely to open its border with Armenia before Yerevan
makes some gesture towards Azerbaijan in their long-running row over
the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Reuters