ARMENIAN PRESIDENT PROPOSES A "FRESH START" IN RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

Journal of Turkish Weekly
July 9 2008
Turkey

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan proposed Turkey "a fresh start"
with the goal of normalizing relations and opening the border,
which has been closed for almost 15 years. He expects to "announce
a new symbolic start in the two countries’ relations" with Turkish
President Abdullah Gul when he visits Armenia to watch the football
game between the two countries’ national teams in September.

"The time has come for a fresh effort to break this deadlock, a
situation that helps no one and hurts many. As president of Armenia,
I take this opportunity to propose a fresh start – a new phase of
dialogue with the government and people of Turkey, with the goal of
normalizing relations and opening our common border," Sargsyan said
in an article published on the Wall Street Journal’s online edition
on Wednesday.

Turkey is among the first countries that recognized Armenia when it
declared its independency. However there is no diplomatic relations
between two countries, as Armenia presses the international community
to admit the so-called "genocide" claims instead of accepting Turkey’s
call to investigate the allegations, and its invasion of 20 percent
of Azerbaijani territory despite the U.N. Security Council resolutions
on the issue.

Sargsyan added he invited Turkish President Abdullah Gul to watch
the Armenia-Turkey football game to be played on Sept. 6.

"Thus we will announce a new symbolic start in our relations. Whatever
our differences, there are certain cultural, humanitarian and sports
links that our peoples share, even with a closed border. This is why I
sincerely believe that the ordinary people of Armenia and Turkey will
welcome such a gesture and will cheer the day that our borders open,"
he wrote.

Sargsyan did not make any direct reference to "genocide" claims,
but stressed the existence of "certain cultural, humanitarian and
sports links that our peoples share, even with a closed border."

An exchange of letters between Sarksyan and Gul in late April raised
optimism for a fresh initiative to normalize relations, while Turkish
Prime Minister then expressed his hope that Sarksyan’s election
victory will "lead to a new period in relations".

JOINT COMMISSION

Sarksyan gave the green light to Turkey’s proposal to establish a
joint commission to investigate the so-called "genocide" claims,
saying this step should be preceded by the normalization of relations.

"Establishing normal political relations would enable us to create
a commission to comprehensively discuss all of the complex issues
affecting Armenia and Turkey. We cannot expect tangible progress
without such structured relations. Only through them can we create an
effective dialogue touching upon even the most contentious historical
issues," he added.

In 2005, Turkey officially proposed to the Armenian government the
establishment of a joint historical commission composed of historians
and other experts from both sides to study together the events of
1915, and to open the archives of Turkey and Armenia, as well as
the archives of all relevant third-party countries and share their
findings publicly. Yerevan had been hesitant to agree to the proposal.

Armenia, with the backing of the Diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. Turkey
rejects the claims, saying that 300,000 Armenians along with at least
as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when the Armenians
took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.

ECONOMIC ISSUES

Sarksyan cited the economic fallout of keeping the border closed and
said it is not closed to only Armenians and Turks, who might want
to visit the neighboring countries, but also to trade, transport and
energy flows from East to West.

"Strategic projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and
the projected Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad bypass Armenia, while the
existing railway between Turkey and Armenia remains shut," he added.

Already, on a more personal scale, many Armenians and Turks have
found ways to get around the closed border, he wrote.

"There may be possible political obstacles on both sides along
the way. However, we must have the courage and the foresight to act
now. Armenia and Turkey need not and should not be permanent rivals. A
more prosperous, mutually beneficial future for Armenia and Turkey,
and the opening up of a historic East-West corridor for Europe, the
Caspian region and the rest of the world, are goals that we can and
must achieve," he concluded his letter.