TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDER MAY OPEN IN 2009
By Hasan Kanbolat

Today’s Zaman
Dec 18 2008
Turkey

The Arpacay River in Anı forms the border between Armenia (R) and
Turkey, closed since 1993 as a consequence of Armenia’s unresolved
conflict with Turkish ally Azerbaijan.

Positive steps followed the rapprochement process between Turkey
and Armenia initiated by President Abdullah Gul, who paid a visit to
Yerevan on Sept. 6 to watch a soccer game.

Secret meetings are being held between the parties in Europe. Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who arrived in Ä°stanbul on
Nov. 24 as the term president of the Organization of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation (BSEC), announced that Armenian President Serzh
Sarksyan will pay a visit to Turkey in October 2009. Nalbandian added
that they were supportive of the normalization of relations without
any preconditions and that they were asking for the opening of the
border on the same terms.

The total length of the Turkish-Armenian border is 325
kilometers. There are two closed gates along this line: the Alican
land border gate and the Akyaka Railway border gate. The first is
located in the village of Alican in Igdır province, while the latter
is in Akyaka in Kars. The former name of Akyaka is Kızılcakcak;
for this reason, the former name of the Akyaka Railway border gate
is the Kızılcakcak gate. This gate, 66 kilometers from Kars,
is publicly known as Dogu Kapı, whereas Armenians call it Ahuryan
gate. In addition to a railway, the gate also includes a byroad.

In the aftermath of the Azeri-Armenian war, which lasted until 1994,
40,000 people had to leave Nagorno-Karabakh and 700,000 left seven
other provinces of Azerbaijan because of the Armenian invasion. As a
result, 13 percent of Azerbaijani people had to survive as migrants
within their own country, 20 percent of which was occupied by Armenian
forces. Thus, Turkey closed its border with Armenia in April 1993
and its air space in 1994. However, it is not accurate to attribute
these moves to Armenian aggression alone. Armenia asserts that the
1920 Treaty of Alexandropol and 1921 Treaty of Kars, which set the
borderline between Armenia and Turkey, are no longer valid. Armenian
also defined Turkey’s eastern territories as western Armenia in its
declaration of independence proclaimed on Aug. 23, 1990. In addition,
the official coat of arms of the Armenian state, as thoroughly
depicted in the second paragraph of Article 13 of the Armenian
constitution, includes Mount Ararat, a part of Turkey. Yerevan also
avoids recognition of Turkey’s territorial integrity.

Why were bold steps taken as late as September 2008 to normalize the
bilateral relations between the two countries despite these thorny
issues? Could the primary reason for this be the European attempt to
relieve Georgia, which has been alienated in the Southern Caucasus
in the aftermath of the war in August? Is it because the West wanted
to take Armenia on its side? The Euro-Atlantic world is resolute
in improving its relations with Armenia, a predominantly Christian
country, after Georgia. Armenian intellectuals also want their country
to be integrated into the West. They ask for a smooth transition
from the system inherited from the Soviet era to a Western-style
parliamentary democracy and institutionalization of a democratic
order where human rights and a free market economy are the dominant
factors. Armenian intellectuals are particularly uneasy about the
ownership of Armenian industries by Russian capital and the heavy
presence of Russian military in the country.

According to the Euro-Atlantic world and Armenian intellectuals,
Armenia’s integration with the West and the democratic world will
be possible if it establishes normal relations with Turkey, which
is ruled by democracy. In addition, according to unofficial figures,
the foreign trade volume between the two countries has increased from
$30 million in 1997 to $250 million in 2008. Considering the current
foreign trade volume of Turkey with Azerbaijan and Georgia and the
current state of Armenian economy, it is obvious that the existing
figures with respect to foreign trade volume between Armenia and Turkey
will not become any better even if the borders are opened. For these
reasons, opening the border gates is a political rather than economic
issue. It is a project that will enable Armenia’s democratization
and its integration with the West.

Armenia will maintain term presidency in BSEC for six months. If
Yerevan is able to take bold steps vis-a-vis Turkey during this period,
Turkey may proceed with opening the closed border gates in 2009. And
if Armenia offers a plausible plan of withdrawal from occupied
Azerbaijani territories and declares that it recognizes Turkey’s
territorial integrity, Turkey will be ready to take reciprocal
steps and moves. Initiation of border trade and establishment of
low-level diplomatic relations may follow the opening of the border
gates. However, if Moscow takes action and pursues new policies
vis-a-vis Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Euro-Atlantic world may be
disappointed. Moreover, considering the rapprochement between Turkey
and Armenia, the Baku administration may take action to mobilize
actors of Turkish domestic politics in an attempt to disrupt Turkey’s
improved relations with Armenia.

In conclusion, it is not logical or meaningful for the Turkish,
Armenian and Azerbaijani people, who have been living together
for thousands of years, to disrupt their common future because
of the relatively insignificant issues that have emerged in recent
decades. The Southern Caucasus needs permanent stability; and peoples
there need peace and welfare.

–Boundary_(ID_sk9QoyIbNNbeFSU95VsBAA)–