ARMENIANS AGAINST AND FOR TURKEY’S EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP

Armenpress
Dec 18 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS: Head of an Armenian research center
dealing with Oriental studies said Armenia is interested that Turkey
respect all the commitments it has assumed as a candidate for EU
membership before moving ahead.

Ruben Safrastian, head of the Institute for Oriental Studies, an
affiliation of the National Academy of Sciences, told a round table
last Saturday that Armenia wants Turkey to be a predictable neighbor,
a nation that conforms with European standards and a country that is
ready to acknowledge and condemn its predecessor’s crimes. "Turkey is
now a country that tries to dodge the commitments it has assumed as a
nation seeking EU membership, a country that refuses to acknowledge
the black chapters of its history and refuses negotiations with its
neighbor over normalization of relations," he said.

Kiro Manoyan, a senior member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF), said the last 12 months have shown that Turkey is reluctant
to respect these commitments, particularly, the ones relating to
Cyprus. He said a reformed Turkey means a Turkey that has recognized
the Armenian genocide. He also argued that Armenia should not act as
a proponent of Turkey’s EU membership.

But Ara Manukian from the former ruling Armenian National Movement
(ANM), countered that Turkey’s membership in the European Union is
an absolute necessity because Turkey can join it only after sweeping
reforms.

"If Turkey does not join the EU and is rejected by the whole of Europe
it may shift towards some eastern countries harboring terrorism,’
he said.