TURKEY & ARMENIA : PROMISE AMID DISCORD
Diba Nigar Göksel

Turquie Européenn
http://www.turquieeuropeenne. eu/article2788.html
May 23 2008
France

An inspiring conference on Turkey-Armenia relations was held in Yerevan
this past Tuesday. At the end of the event, which was organized by
the Yerevan-based Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional
Cooperation, and supported by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation and
USAID, a number of students among the audience took the microphone
kindly asking that their "elders" guide them in making a difference
in the relationship. Thirty young students were motivated to give me
their email addresses with hopes that I could link them with Turkish
counterparts upon my return to Istanbul.

The conference witnessed a clash of opinions between Amberin Zaman,
Turkey Correspondent of the Economist, and Chairman of the Liberal
Democrat Party in Turkey Cem Toker, about Turkey’s domestic trends. By
evening, the debate had made its way to the Armenian press under
the title "TURKISH POLITICIAN AND JOURNALIST HOLD A HEATED DEBATE" –
where the discussions were labeled "surprisingly frank." Armenians were
amazed to see Turks arguing with each other in Yerevan. "We imagine
Turkey as one very unified bloc – in fact not only unified within
its borders, but with the entire Turkic world," a young Armenian man
admitted hours after the conference.

Shaken concept of the Turk Despite deep and undenied differences,
there were certain points all conference discussants agreed upon :
only if a country has a strong democracy can ideas of reconciliation
spread and effect policy. Unless we challenge some of the common
wisdoms and obtain the knowledge necessary to form informed opinions,
we will be susceptible to the provocations of nationalist and populist
forces. In terms of bilateral relations, both the genocide resolutions
in third countries pursued by the Armenian diaspora and the policy of
keeping the Turkish border closed seems not to have served intended
purposes – perhaps they have backfired ; There is a lack of clarity
and a gap between declarations and practice on both sides.

It also seemed hopeful that the sides could move closer to a shared
view of history, as long as they set reasonable expectations. Whether
ultimately a plurality of ideas about history can be lived with or
whether a shared version needs to be achieved was left inconclusive.

As the end of the conference neared, one young man expressed the joy he
felt in having his conception of the Turk shaken through this event. He
was warned, with humor, that there are many different Turks just like
there are many different Armenians – naturally. The young Armenian,
like most others, had never met a Turk before, he was in his mid 20s.

Armenia’s turmoil Armenia is undergoing deep domestic turmoil,
especially heightened since March. There are close to 100 opposition
members jailed. Every public institution is internally divided in
terms of political camps. Political apathy has been replaced, among
many young and well-organized people, by a drive to shift political
dynamics through momentum. More people are questioning what they took
for granted or felt powerless in the face of. Economic hardships are
also instrumental in this restlessness. No matter what the result
of these particular crises, there is change in Armenian society and
the need to restore legitimacy will in some form or another effect
politics, eventually. Though very limited, there are already signs of
"fresh professionalism," as cautiously indicated in a recent article
by a well-known analyst, Richard Giragosian.

I was as proud of Turkey as I have ever been when I was able to respond
with a confident "no" to a young Armenian woman who asked if we would
be penalized when we returned to Turkey, for disagreeing with certain
policies, past and present. There are, to be sure, still limitations
on freedom of speech, but not like as it was in the past.

Sometimes it takes a trip eastward to appreciate how far Turkey has
traveled and the untapped potential it has for more influence. A pity
that Turkey is so consumed with its own internal conflicts.

Diba Nigar Göksel is a senior analyst at the European Stability
Initiative () and editor-in-chief of Turkish Policy
Quarterly (TPQ).

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress