ACCORDING TO REPUBLICAN MP, EU CAN BE BEST PLATFORM FOR ARMENIAN-TURKISH DIALOGUE

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 21, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. If the declared interests of Armenia
and Turkey can be compared, the real interests of the two countries
are incompatible. This opinion was expressed by Armen Ashotian,
an NA MP and a member of the Republican Party of Armenia, during
the discussions concerning the Armenian-Turkish relations held on
May 20. According to him, being an apologist of the Turkish unity,
Turkey cannot establish relations with Armenia under the circumstance
of the existence of the Karabakh problem and the possible endangering
of the territorial integrity of the country forces Turkey to struggle
against the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Both
of the countries have challenges threatening their statehood (in case
of Armenia that is the Karabakh conflict and for Turkey the Kurdish
issue), which as well make the establishment of bilateral relations
more difficult. The MP also mentioned that if Armenia itself is
interested in the establishment of relations with Turkey, the latter
is forced by the United States of America and the European Union.

In the words of A. Ashotian, the Armenian-Turkish relations are not the
problem of the two peoples only, otherwise it would have been settled
long before. According to him, the United States of America, which
is interested in the normalization of the Armenian-Turlish relations,
should make efforts in the direction of decreasing the tension existing
between the two countries. The MP stressed that as far as there are no
security guarantees from Turkey, the United States of America will have
to tolerate the presence of the Russian army in Armenia. By the way,
Russia, which has made big investments in Turkey, has taken no steps
in the direction of the improvement of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

Irrespective of the unfavourable conditions, both of the countries,
according to the MP, can find possible verges of cooperation in the
spheres of the provision of stability and peace, economy, environmental
protection, preservation of cultural values, development of national
values, terrorism and struggle against extremities, as well as other
spheres. In the conviction of A. Ashotian, the European Union can be
the best platform for the Armenian-Turkish relations and dialogue.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress