AZG Armenian Daily #109, 15/06/2005

Armenia-Turkey

TURKISH PRESS RESPONDS TO ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER’S WASHINGTON VISIT

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was still in the United
States when Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanian departed from
Vienna to Washington for a working visit. Tough totally focused on
Erdogan-Bush meeting, Turkish newspapers viewed Armenian minister’s
visit as an important one too.

On June 9, defining Oskanian’s two-day visit as a surprise, Hurriyet
wrote that Armenian foreign minister singled out Armenian-Turkish
relations as primary issue during his meeting with Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice and adviser on security affairs Steven
Headley. Hurriyet thinks that Oskanian hurried to Washington to
catch up with Erdogan thus making political analysts to comment on RA
foreign minister’s visit as Washington’s mediation in Kocharian-Erdogan
dialogue interrupted in Warsaw summit of the Council of Europe.

While the press release by RA Foreign Ministry was giving shallow
information about Oskanian-Rice meeting, Turkish papers pointed out
that the Armenian minister at the meeting with Rice emphasized the
need to increase pressure on Turkey.

On June 11, Turkish NTV responded to Oskanian’s press conference. “At
the meeting with US administration and Congress members Oskanian
though did not turn down Erdogan’s proposal of ‘joint commission’, he
put forward a number of preconditions. Oskanian said, ‘One of Turkish
universities prepared for a workshop ‘Armenians at the Ottoman Period’
but the government intervened. Is that possible to begin a dialogue
in such atmosphere? That is the first reason. Secondly, how long will
that commission function, 15 years?'”, NTV broadcasted.

According to NTV, hinting at Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku railway,
Oskanian said, “Kars-Gyumri railway reaches Georgia already. Once
it operates, you can avoid expenses of at least $600 million. But we
will not turn to the states included in the project”.

The Turkish press in general was rather considerate towards RA foreign
minister’s visit, particularly his press conference. What stands behind
this is official Washington’s interest in seeing Armenian-Turkish
relations settled.

As it is Turkey that hinders settlement of relations — Turkish
prime minister offered first “to study the genocide issue and then to
establish intergovernmental relations” — then minister Oskanian’s
proposal at the meeting with Rice to exert more pressure on Turkey
appears rather logical.

Vartan Oskanian’s response to Erdogan’s proposal to create a
“joint group” is also reasonable. That is to say if Turkey does
not tolerate a workshop on Armenian issues, then it considers true
historians those who do not stick to the official thesis on Armenian
Genocide in Turkey. Therefore, a “joint group” will simply mean turning
Armenian historians into accomplices of Turkish negation or make them
continually discuss the issue without arriving at a conclusion.

Oskanian’s response to construction of Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku
was more than logical. More importantly he displayed resolution not
to turn to any state involved in the project. This means if the US
is interested in operation of Kars-Gyumri railway, which will save
American budget $600 million, it should put pressure on Azerbaijan
and Georgia as well.

By Hakob Chakrian