OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER IS BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH ARMENIA AND TURKEY, POLITICAL SCIENTIST V. DILANIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan

Se p 24, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border is beneficial for both Armenia and Turkey. Vahan Dilanian,
the Chairman of Yerevan Center for Studies of Political Developments,
said at the September 24 press conference. According to him, it is
beneficial for Turkey in the respect that Armenia is the shortest
way to Middle Asia and Azerbaijan.

Besides, it will essentially contribute to development of Turkey’s
eastern regions. The third advantage, according to him, is that in case
of opening the border Turks will get rid of the Kurdish burden: the
latters will migrate to Armenia and other South Caucasian countries,"
V. Dilanian said.

And for Armenia, according to the political scientist, opening of
the border will give a possibility to easily penetrate into the Arab
World and Europe.

According to V. Dilanian, at present Turkey tries to play an important
role in the issue of Nagorno Karabakh settlement. As he evaluated,
as a result of the meeting of Foreign Ministers to be held in late
September in New York considerable progress can be recorded in the
issue of Nagorno Karabakh settlement.

In V. Dilanian’s opinion, Turks do not admit the Armenian Genocide as
they do not believe that their ancestors have committed such an evil.

"Recognition of the Genocide is more beneficial for Turkey,
as it will deliver the latter from pressures exerted by European
countries and Senate for many years," he said adding that the current
Armenian-Turkish relations give serious guarantees in that respect.

According to Turkish political scientist, analyst Turgut Kerem Tuncal,
the problems of the past should be put aside and all possibilities
should be used for establishing good-neighborly relations between
the two peoples.

According to him, the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations
will not be an easy process. "That way will be very difficult,
but as they say, sometimes treatment is painful but saves one’s
life," he said. According to him, the sides should start to improve
their relations from very small and mild steps. They are: opening of
borders, establishment of diplomatic relations. And the most important,
according to T. Kerem Tuncal, establishment of relations between the
publics of the two countries should be the axis of development of
these relations.

T. Kerem Tuncal also said that Turkey can play the role of a mediator
in the issue of Nagorno Karabakh settlement. "Having a stable Caucasus
is in Turkey’s interests, therefore Turkey will seek to solve that
problem," he said. According to the Turkish political scientist,
it will also deliver Armenia from dependence on Russia.