PAST IMPEDES NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY

Trend News Agency
July 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Though it is important to normalize relations between Armenia and
Turkey, they will not solve the problem as it was emotionally charged
with feelings they both had, experts said.

"As long as the problem was a conflict between the two nations and it
was emotionally charged with feelings they both had, nothing could
solve the problem. But, under the ongoing circumstance negotiation
becomes the rational choice," the European expert Jalil Roshandel said.

Turkey cut off diplomatic relations with Armenia because of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, major
disagreements between Yerevan and Ankara are due to the events
that took place at the beginning of 20th century when during the
World War I there was massacre against the Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire. Armenians say that the massacre claimed the lives of more
than 1 million of Armenians. Turkey rejects ‘genocide’ claims, BBC
Russian reported.

On 8 July, ‘secret talks’ were held between Turkish and Armenian
diplomats.

"Their European counterparts are listing Turkish-Armenian century
old hostility as one of the major reasons why they cannot be granted
European identity," Roshandel, Director of Security Studies of the
Social Sciences Institute of France said to TrendNews by e-mail.

The Turkish expert Ihsan Tezegul believes that raising the issue of
relation between Armenia and Turkey may be a political order.

"Though the government does not provide official comments, it is
likely that they are required to normalize relations with Armenia in
exchange for support for AK party by the European Union," Tezegul,
expert on Armenia-Turkish relations said to TrendNews by telephone.

At present, the Constitutional Court of Turkey is examining the appeal
against the intentions of the ruling Justice and Development Party to
introduce the rules of Shariat in secular Turkey. EU believes that
this court can affect Turkey’s chances to become EU member and it
should be solved by voting, but not by court.

Michael Gunter, the professor of the Tennessee Technological University
and Professor of Political Science also believes that the results of
the talks between Armenia and Turkey held after long years of enmity
is not promising. According to expert, several recent attempts to
normalize the relations have failed to accomplish much.

According to Roshandel, because of the long history of animosity the
two states are trying to bring everything into a normal phase with
some solid understanding to mutual expectations so that once it is no
more concealed, only small and unimportant parts needs to be opened
to public.

"However, as long as both Turkey and Armenia claim that their ancestors
did nothing wrong, while being victimized by the other, Gwynne Dyer’s
apt description of "Turkish Falsifiers and Armenian Deceivers" will
continue to prevail," Gunter said.