MITAT CELIKPALA: TURKEY-ARMENIA RECONCILIATION PROCESS FORCED

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.12.2008 14:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The current Turkish-Armenian rapprochement is
a forced process. Actually, neither Armenia nor Turkey is willing
reconciliation, a Turkish professor said.

"The process is mostly conditioned by the incumbent leadership’s
aspiration for the European Union, which sets opening of the border
with Armenia as a precondition," said Mitat Celikpala, associate
professor of international relations at Turkey’s TOBB University.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s pledge to recognize the Armenian
Genocide is also among the reasons, according to him.

"Furthermore, Russia is extremely interested opening of the border,
what will help alleviate Armenia’s isolation and its dependence on
Georgia. These factors compel Turkey to reconciliation," Celikpala
said.

"However, Ankara will not open the border with Armenia unless the
European Union gives green light to its accession bid. I think the
situation will clear up in spring 2009," he said, 1news.az reports.