"GUL’S ELECTION WILL NOT AFFECT ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS"

Panorama.am
20:27 21/08/2007

"Today’s Turkey isn’t the same as five or ten years ago. Today there
are strong movements there, which we can use to our advantage." Thus
stated Lebanese-Armenian political scientists Asbed Koochigian today
at a meeting with journalists at the "Friday" club. In his words,
the Islamic Party is represented by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul,
whose victory could leave the impression that Turkey is looking
eastward, but more important is the relation Gul will have with the
military. The speaker says that in the case of a lack of cooperation
between the two, the danger of a military revolution exists, yet in
the case of cooperation, the contents will be what count, which will
determine the progress of the country.

Referring to the same question, Richard Giragosian, of the Washington
bureau of Caucasian and Central Asian issue, said that independent of
who might win the presidential election in Turkey, our relations won’t
be affected. "The question of opening the border will be put off,
as no decision has been made concerning this issue," he underlined,
adding that in recent years Turkish society has begun to "play an
important role" in the country’s politics, which has a positive
influence concerning the opening of the border.

"In the near future, it will be clear whether Turkey will lean towards
the West or the East. Armenia needs to be prepared to develop relations
with the new Turkey," concluded Giragosian.