Lragir, Armenia
Nov 23 2006

WE CAN BE A BORDER INSTALLATION OF EU AT BEST

It became clear during the discussion on the Armenian and Turkish
relations at the Hayeli Club on November 23 that for Armenia Turkey’s
membership to the EU is favorable. Ruben Hovsepyan, ARF
Dashnaktsutyun which is part of the ruling coalition, Paruir
Hairikyan, the oppositionist National Self-Determination Union and
Levon Zurabyan who is not member of any political party but is
against this government, were invited to a debate today.

Paruir Hairikyan says the countries of East Europe were accepted to
the European Union because they declassified the `KGB agents’.
Meanwhile, we are busy giving our economy to Russia part by part, and
we have reached the point of `becoming their fort.’ If Turkey becomes
member of the European Union, it needs to live with `that system of
values and recognize the Armenian Genocide.’ According to the leader
of the NSDU, if Turkey’s entry to the EU is obstructed by the same EU
with its stipulations on human rights and several other problems,
from us, Europe demands only democracy. `We are blocking our own way
by falsifying elections. Already four political parties are
distributing aid. The elections have already been marred, and in the
upcoming 5 years we needn’t even touch upon membership to the
European Union.’

Levon Zurabyan thinks that as an EU member Turkey is our shortest way
to the EU, and implies a predictable Turkey, and no president of a
country will say `Armenia is not afraid that we may drop a shell on
the nuclear plant’ like the former president of Turkey Turgut Ozal
said.

Ruben Hovsepyan, like any other member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun,
does not have an absolute answer. An EU member Turkey would be
favorable for us if it changed and were like the other EU countries;
as soon as it changes, it will become a member of the EU. In fact,
like every member of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Ruben Hovsepyan also
tries to question the collective European reason although he did not
disagree that unlike NATO the European Union does not apply double
standard. Ruben Hovanisyan thinks that the EU New Neighbors Policy
means that neither the South Caucasus nor Turkey will become members
of the EU. `EU is creating border installations who live with their
standards.’