Armenian FM Oskanyan Calls on Turkey to ‘Open Borders’

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 15 2005

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan once again called on the
Turkey to lift ‘the blockade of Armenia’ at a news conference at the
national press club in Washington a few days ago.

Oskanyan argued that the opening of the border will positively impact
the situation in the region. However he did not say anything about
the Armenian occupation. Armenian forces have occupied the 20 percent
of Azerbaijani territories. About 1 million Azerbaijanis have been
refugees for more than a decade. Armenia does not recognize Turkey’s
and Azerbaijan’s national borders.

The Armenian foreign minister repeated the position of the official
Yerevan and its readiness to normalize relations with Ankara without
preconditions. However Oskanyan had rejected Turkish PM Erdogan’s call
to establish a joint commission to discuss the historical disputes.

Armenian citizens can visit Turkey by plane only. More than 50,000
Armenians illegally work in Istanbul.

The Armenian foreign minister Oskanyan called on the White House to
influence Turkey ‘effectively’ in its relations with Armenia. However
Turkey and Azerbaijan with Georgia are among the most strategic allies
of the US in the region while Armenia is the only Russian partner in
the Caucasus. Armenia furthermore develops close relations with Iran.

Davut Sahiner, Caucasus expert, says “the Armenian politicians are
not aware full about the balance of the power in the region”. Sahiner
says Armenia needs Turkey, not Turkey needs Armenia:

“75 million-Turkey is strong enough and does not need Armenia while
Armenia has been isolated in the region. Armenia has been become a
Russian military base. Georgia and Azerbaijan has developed good
relations with the West, Israel and Turkey. Armenian economy and
political life has been getting worse and worse. The population has
declared from 3 million to 2 million. And they are still talking about
preconditions. They are still speaking about the events of a century
ago. The Armenian ‘leaders’ miss today, they abuse the problems. They
do not want to solve anything. They go to Washington or to Brussels and
try manipulate or provocate the Western leaders against Turkey. The
Armenian politicians have always forgotten that they live with the
Turks not with the Western peoples. They have to respect the peoples
in the region. Otherwise they can never find respect.”