INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP CALLS FOR NORMALIZATION OF TIES BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY

PanArmenian
April 14 2009
Armenia

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey and Armenia should seize their best
opportunity yet to normalize relations, work on a new approach to
shared history and open a European border that for nearly a century
has been hostage to conflict, International Crisis Group stated.

Turkey and Armenia: Opening Minds, Opening Borders, the latest report
from the International Crisis Group, examines how a decade of academic
and civil society outreach laid the foundations for what is now intense
official engagement between the governments. The two sides are now
close to agreement on a package deal that will establish diplomatic
relations, open the border and set up bilateral commissions to address
a range of issues.

These commissions will include one on joint historical dimension
of the Armenian-Turkish relationship, which will work to broaden
understanding of the Ottoman-era forced relocations and massacres of
Armenians, widely recognized as the Armenian genocide. Turkey contests
the term genocide, disputing its legal applicability and pointing to
mitigating circumstances as the Ottoman Empire fought on three fronts
in the First World War. But many Turks, including officials, now
publicly express regret over the tragic and high loss of Armenian life.

"Turks’ and Armenians’ once uncompromising views of history are
significantly converging, showing that the deep traumas can be
healed", says Hugh Pope, director of Crisis Group’s Turkey/Cyprus
Project. "At this sensitive time, third parties should avoid statements
or resolutions in the politicized debate over genocide recognition
or denial that could inflame opinion on either side".

A separate but related issue, the stalemated Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, still risks undermining final agreement
on the Turkey and Armenia normalization package. Azerbaijan opposes any
border opening until Armenia withdraws from its occupied territory But
Turkey should not sacrifice this chance to move forward, and should
persuade its ally that détente which makes Armenia feel secure will
do more for a settlement than continuing a fifteen-year impasse. For
long-term normalization with Turkey to be sustainable, Armenia,
together with Azerbaijan, should ultimately adopt the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group basic principles
for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of the OSCE, and
Armenia should withdraw from Azerbaijani territories that it occupies.

"Turkey and Armenia should finalize their agreement and thus create
new momentum for peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus", says
Sabine Freizer, Crisis Group’s Europe Program Director. "They should
not wait until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is settled. But outside
powers such as the U.S., EU, Russia and others should build on their
rare common interest to move both Turkish-Armenian normalization and
the Nagorno-Karabakh process forward".