FT: NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA AND OPENNING THE BORDERS ARE GREAT CHALLENGES FOR TURKEY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 15, 2009

London, April 15, Noyan Tapan: The working manner of Turkish
authorities on the world stage in recent times and a needlessly brash
tone damage the international image of Turkey. Instead, this is a
high time for Turkey to display quiet and responsible diplomacy,
writes the Financial Times.

"One thing that Turkish diplomacy must understand: in the
international arena sharp words have not a good impact on them:
Turkey may be playing a constructive role in stabilizing Iraq and
Afghanistan, but the opposition of the prime minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan to the nomination of Anders Fogh Rasmussen to the position
of the Atlantic Alliance’s secretary-general was about to crash the
recent NATO summit. The summit was a very important stage for such
insignificant speech, which damaged Turkey’s international image",
writes the British periodical adding that within coming two weeks
Turkey will face "two great challenges".

The first is to normalize relations with Armenia and open the border
closed by Turkey in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan. The second is to
reach an agreement with Greece over the Cyprus dispute. If Turkey can
achieve tangible results on both two fronts, it will significantly
reinforce its possibilities to EU accession.