Speculations over `roadmap’

12:47 / 08/29/2009According to Onur Oyman (Deputy Chairman of Turkish CHP opposition party), the `roadmap’ initiator, the one who developed reports for Kurdish issue settlement in 2007 and 2009 is David Phillips, American Atlantic Council expert, Turkish Milliyet daily reports.

According to Oyman, Phillips was the Chairman of Armenian-Turkish relations’ settlement committee established by U.S. Government. He also added that earlier Phillips was President of Armenian-Turkish relations’ settlement committee established by U.S. Government.

Being concerned with Armenian-Turkish relations’ settlement committee activities, three Turkish members of the committee resigned in 2003. Other members developed a `roadmap’ and presented it to Armenian and Turkish governments. The `roadmap’ details were not made public. According to some Armenian sources, `roadmap’ implied the opening of the border without preconditions.

Oyman said that during the Obama’s visit to Turkey some delegates of Justice and Development party and pro-governmental press stood for the border unconditional opening. However, due to the severe response of Ilham Aliyev and Turkish Prime Minister’s visit to Azerbaijan Erdogan stated that the border will not open unless Karabakh issue is settled. After that certain outside forces pressure Turkey to open the Armenian-Turkish border gate.

NEWS.am informs that Onur Oyman (Justice and Development party Deputy Chairman) tries to ascribe `roadmap’ (April 22, 2009 issued by Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers) to the commission on Armenian-Turkish relations’ settlement (set up in 2001). RA Former Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanyan, Ambassador Davit Hovhannisyan, political analyst Andranik Mihranyan were the members of the commission from Armenian side. In 2001-2004 David Phillips was the President of the commission on Armenian-Turkish relations’ settlement.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress