MINISTER OSKANIAN’S INTERVIEW TO THE TURKISH HURRIYET DAILY
Sefa Kaplan

Hurriyet
March 27, 2006
Istanbul

1. What will happen after the Armenian Constitutional Referendum? How
will it affect Turkish-Armenian relationship?

The Armenian Constitutional Referendum was a domestic process.

It can have no effect, one way or another, on Armenian-Turkish
relations. It brought about changes in government structure, checks
and balances, and as a result, will strengthen Armenia’s democratic
processes.

2. There are some rumors in Turkey about double-citizenship.

Your New Constitution doesn’t prohibit the double-citizenship. What
will happen if Diaspora becomes more influential on Armenian political
life?

Dual citizenship is an issue that will still be discussed and addressed
in Armenia. The conditions and requirements of dual citizenship have
yet to be defined. The degree and kind of engagement and responsibility
of Diaspora Armenians must still be explored and agreed upon. It
is clear however, that in Armenia, as in any sovereign country,
our political life will be determined by the people who live in
Armenia. In any case, those, too, are domestic issues. However, your
question is correct in that there are many rumors, misunderstandings
and misperceptions about Armenia in Turkey. Part of the reason for
this is that the Turkish government refuses to establish diplomatic
relations with Armenia. If there were relations between our two
countries, and our peoples were able to interact, then the obvious
would become clear to the people of Turkey – that they have nothing
to fear from Armenia.

3. Most people in Turkey believe that Armenian and Turkish relationship
would be better if Diaspora didn’t exist. What do you think – is
Diaspora the main barrier between Turkey and Armenia?

I can’t help but to respond by saying that the Diaspora would not
exist in this form if it were not for the events of 1915. Armenia
and Diaspora both want recognition and condemnation of those events.

Furthermore, I am convinced that closed borders, absence of relations
simply exasperates and further deepens the abyss that exists between
the two peoples today. Our peoples do not have the opportunity to share
new experiences, to create new memories to replace old memories. The
Diaspora wants what is best for Armenia, and what is best for Armenia
are normal relations with all its neighbors. We hope and expect that
the people of Turkey, too, want good relations with their neighbors.

4. Does Diaspora have the right of voting or being elected?

It does not.

5. Do Turkish Armenians have the same right with the rest of Diaspora
in Armenia?

All Armenians living outside Armenia have the same right, opportunity,
and even the obligation to become part of life in Armenia, in any
way that they choose. Armenia wants and needs all its compatriots
everywhere in the world. But relationships between Turks and Armenians,
between Armenians from Turkey and Armenians from Armenia, cannot and
do not replace the need for official relations between the Republic
of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey. The Turkish government cannot
keep repeating that there are Armenian tourists in Turkey, or that
there are Turkish flights to Armenia.

That is lamentably insufficient. That is certainly not the same as
having official relations, knowing that the country and people on the
other side of the border can cooperate and interact when necessary
so that both feel safer, prosper and live in peace and security with
each other.

6. Do you have perceptible offers for Turkish people for regional
peace and credibility?

Peace and stability anywhere can only exist when there are normal
relations, when there is dialogue. Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian
said that Prime Minister Erdogan’s suggestion of a historic commission
can be considered as part of a larger intergovernmental dialogue which
takes place under normal conditions – with diplomatic relations and
open borders.

Turkey has not responded to that offer. The European Union has said
that Turkey must have, as any normal country in the world today must
have, normal relations with all its neighbors, even those with whom
it has disagreements.

Turkey has disagreements, some serious ones, with almost all its
neighbors, yet it has relations with all of them. Why does it
insist on pretending that Armenia and Armenians are not across
the border? Turkey, as a major power in the region, is obliged to
enter into normal relations with its neighbors, not because the
European Union demands it, but because that is what is good for its
own citizens, and for the region. It is a political reality that
both Turkey and Armenia exist today in the international community
with their current borders. It is a political reality that we are
neighbors and we will live alongside each other. It is a political
reality that Armenia is not a security threat to Turkey. We, too,
want regional peace and security.

That is why we have said that if the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railroad were
to be made operational again – Armenia would be willing not to use or
benefit from that railroad because we know that regional security,
even European security, would benefit from that transportation
line. Just let it begin to run. Let’s begin to create some normalcy
in this region. There is $120 million in trade between our countries,
now, through third countries, with difficulty, at extra cost to all
sides. Imagine if there could be direct trade. Imagine the benefit
to Turkey’s eastern provinces and cities.

7. Turkey is discussing Armenian problem and looking for real answers
to what happened in 1915. What is your comment about this kind of
discussions in Turkey? Do you follow them?

We do follow the discussions in Turkey and we are encouraged that
there is greater openness in recent months. We can only hope that
there will be greater freedoms for speech and expression so that the
Turkish people become familiar with the events of 1915, reject them
for what they were and condemn them. Today’s Turks do not bear the
guilt of the perpetrators, unless they choose to defend and identify
with them. Armenians are able to distinguish between the perpetrators
and today’s Turkey. As with any nation, we hope that these internal
discussions will lead to Turks coming to terms with their history,
recognizing the good and denouncing the bad. That is what every modern
state has had to do, after World War II, after the fall of the USSR,
and Turkey, too, will have to go through that process.

Thank you very much.