MARY-ANN ISLER BEGIN OPPOSES TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
April 19 2006

Chairwoman of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission
Mary-Ann Isler Begin declared her oppostion to Turkey’s EU
membership. She argued that ther was a close connection between
Turkey’s EU membership and the Armenian allegations. Armenia is not
a EU country, even some experts say it is not a European country. Mrs.
Begin did not touch the occpied territories issue.

YEREVAN – Chairwoman of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation
Commission Mary-Ann Isler Begin told then reporters in Yerevan that
Turkey’s admission to the European Union was only possible after the
re-opening of borders with Armenia and settlement of the issue of
the Armenian allegations regarding the 1915 Relocation campaign.

Turkey-Armenia territorial borders have been closed since the Armenian
occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories. Armenia does not
recognise Turkey’s national borders and call Turkey’s eastern region
‘Western Armenia’. The nationalist groups like Tashnaks in Armenia
are also against opening of Turkish borders.

However more than 50,000 Armenians work in ýstanbul and they travel
freely by air.

According to Mary-Ann Isler Begin, the European Parliament has always
been for the re-opening of the Turkish-Armenian borders. “This issue
will certainly be raised the moment of Turkey’s admission to the
European family. Otherwise, the admission of the country having
its borders with its neighbors closed to the EU is impossible”,
Isler Begin said. For Mrs. Begin, all European countries should have
friendly relations and all borders should be opened. However Mrs.

Begin did not touch the problems the two European neigbours, namely
Armenia and Azerbaijan. Almost 20 percent of Azeri territories have
been under Armenian occupation and the EU and the OSCE have named
Armenia ‘ocuupier’ in Karabakh. Turkey argues that yerevan should first
recognise Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s national unity to open the borders.

The close-borders policy is not a new strategy. The US has banned any
trade and relations with Iran and Cuba. Turkey argues that Armenia
commited worse ‘policies’ than Iran or Cuba had done. A Turkish
diplomat told the JTW that “Iran occupied no country, but Armenia did.”

On October 3, 2005, a meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg
reached an agreement on Turkey’s admission to the EU. On October 4,
2005, the EU started official negotiations with Turkey.

Turkish experts forecast that the negotiations with official Ankara
may last maximum 5 years.

Dr. Nilgun Gulcan told the JTW that there is no connection between
the Armenian allegations and Turkey’s EU membership:

“The EU has no option but accept Turkey as full member to the EU
becuase Turkey has fulfilled all the requirements the EU asked. The
Armenian allegations are being used to hide the anti-Turkish
intentions. The anti Turkey groups abuse the Armenian issue and teh
Armenians are ready to be used.”

–Boundary_(ID_78qYZY4SZ2MchMJPSMeq1g)–