KOCHARIAN WANTS OPEN BORDERS WITH TURKEY YET REFUSE ANY STEP

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Nov 21 2006

* Kocharian urges establishment of diplomatic ties with Turkey

Armenian President Robert Kocharian stated late Thursday that Turkey,
as a candidate for European Union (EU) membership, should follow a
"different approach" on the issue of establishing diplomatic relations
with neighbouring Yerevan. Turkey on the other hand argues that
Armenia should withdraw its armed forces from neigbouring Azerbaijan
and should recognise Turkey’s national borders. Armenia does not
recognise Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s national borders.

Stressing that diplomatic relations should be established without
preconditions and prejudices, Mr. Kocharian claimed that although
his country had suggested to Turkey the establishment of diplomatic
relations, Ankara refused. "Our suggestion is still valid," he said
in a speech at a meeting organized by the Bertelsmann Association in
Berlin. However a Turkish diplomat in Ankara does not find Kocharian’s
statement serious adding "Armenia is not in a position to offer
diplomatic relations with Turkey". Reminding that Armenian forces
have been occupying almost 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories,
the diplomat added Armenia first must follow a peacefull policy in
the region.

Kocharian accepted in his speech that Turkey was an important
country. Kocharian said "Turkey closed its borders with Armenia" yet
he did not give the reason behind the decision. Kocharian did also
not touch the open air borders between two countries. Many Armenians
travel every week between two countries via airplanes.

* ‘Proposal for historians’ commission is a ploy’

The Armenian president Kocharian further dismissed the Turkish Prime
Minister tayyip Erdogan’s proposal to establish a joint commission
of historians to study the Armenian historical claims as a "Turkish
ploy" by which he claimed Ankara will try to distance itself from the
core of the alleged issue. According to the Armenian side, there is
nothing to be discussed, and Turkey has to accept what the Armenian
side says. Last week Turkish Foreign Minister Abdulah Gul declared
that Turkey has been studying to go to the international court for the
Armenian claims. Dr. Nilgun Gulcan from the Ankara-based USAK told the
JTW "Armenians have never gone to the courts but parliaments, because
they do want to keep the issue in the political area. They know that
they would lose any case if they go to the international or local
courts. International law says that the 1915 events is not genocide".

Kocharian made the remarks in response to former German Ambassador
Dietrich Kyaw, who asked him why he had rejected Turkish Premier Recep
Tayyip Erdogan’s proposal of a historians’ commission to examine
the genocide allegations. Turkey has offered many alternatives to
establish dialogue between Turkey and Armenia to solve all problems,
including the genocide claims. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
even invited Mr. Kocharian to Istanbul, yet all of these offers and
invitations were strongly rejected by Armenia and its president.

Kocharian also stated that Yerevan wants the establishment of a
commission of politicians instead of a commission of historians
and said, "Politicians, not historians, have responsibility for the
‘genocide’." However Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner, Turkish expert on
Armenian studies, asked "why politicians?". Laciner further continued:

"Which politicians are responsible for the so-called genocide? The
exisiting politicians in Turkey? It is really difficult to understand
Mr. Kocharian. According to the International Law, individuals are
responsible for genocide crime. It means that even if we consider
the 1915 events as Genocide, today’s Turkey or its politicians canno
be responsible for the events happened almost a century ago. 1915 is
past, Mr. President has to realise that we live in 2006, not in 1915.

Historians, political scientists or lawyers should discuss the claims,
not the politicians."

Kocharian: ‘Nagorno-Karabakh is independent’

Armenian President Robert Kocharian also claimed that the disputed
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence following the
collapse of the Soviet Union and the enclave has never been a part of
Azerbaijan, though the region was one of the provinces of Azerbaijan
during the Soviet Union. The European Union and the OSCE officialy
condemned Armenia as occupier in Karabakh. No state in the world,
including Armenia officially recognises Nagorno-Karabakh. Apart from
Karabakh, some other towns of Azerbaijan have also been under the
Armenian occupation.