Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 28 2009
April 24 not deadline for Armenia rapprochement
Armenian-American efforts to win US endorsement on their claims of an
Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire are likely to be
among the topics of discussion when US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton visits Ankara next week.
But she is unlikely to see on the same menu any timetable for a quick
normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey, which Turkish
officials say proceed on a separate track and according to different
criteria.
Restoration of diplomatic ties between the estranged neighbors is a
step that would certainly improve the atmosphere in favor of Turkey in
Washington, where Armenian-American groups are lobbying strongly for
US recognition of the genocide charges. April 24, when Armenians say
the genocide campaign started more than 90 years ago in eastern
Anatolia, will stand as a turning point in the recognition campaign
because President Barack Obama, who has made firm pledges to
Armenian-American voters to support their cause during his election
campaign, will release an official statement on that day to
commemorate the suffering of Armenians during the years of World War
I. Given his clear pledge of support in the past, lobbyists expect him
to break a tradition followed by American presidents until now to
avoid the "g-word" in their April 24 messages.
A US presidential statement acknowledging the genocide of Armenians by
the Turks would certainly be a deep blow to Turkish-US ties that
neither Turks nor Americans would be happy to see. But Turkish
policymakers make clear they will not trade a rapprochement with
Armenia for US silence on the genocide issue.
"Our efforts to resolve our problems with Armenia are not linked to
Armenian genocide claims in the US," a Turkish official, speaking on
condition of anonymity, said on Friday. Given the complex issues that
need to be worked out between Turkey and Armenia before any step in
the direction of normalization, any drastic breakthrough is indeed
unlikely in the near future, according to Turkish policymakers.
Turkey severed its diplomatic ties and closed its border gate with
Armenia in 1993 in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan, who was then
at war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia occupied a chunk of
Azerbaijani territory due to a dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh
region. Ankara now says normalization of ties depends on an Armenian
withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh (or at least a partial withdrawal
from some of the occupied territory) and a reversal in the Armenian
policy of supporting Armenian diaspora efforts to win international
recognition for genocide claims, as well as a formal declaration by
Yerevan for recognition of the current border with Turkey.
Hopes for rapprochement have been high since President Abdullah Gül
visited Armenia last September to watch a World Cup qualifying match
between the national teams of the two countries. Since then, diplomats
have been holding closed-door meetings on how to normalize
ties. Turkish, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers have also
held three-way talks to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Any step
in the direction of normal ties with Armenia should guarantee that
neither Azerbaijan nor the Turkish public, sensitive over genocide
accusations and widely against the deterioration of ties with
Azerbaijan, will be offended.
First visit by new secretary of state
The Armenian issue is perhaps the single potential source of tension
in relations with the Barack Obama administration, which officials say
are progressing smoothly. When Clinton visits Ankara on March 7, her
first visit to Turkey as secretary of state, the two countries are
also expected to discuss Middle East peace efforts, Iraq and
Afghanistan.
Officials said that any US request to use Turkish facilities for
withdrawal from Iraq will need to be negotiated, although authorities
are warm to the idea of assisting a US pullout from the neighboring
country. Modalities and principles need to be negotiated, said an
official, once the US side comes up with a clearer set of requests.
28 February 2009, Saturday
FATMA DEMIRELLI Ä°STANBUL
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
