MIXED RESPONSES TO TURKISH-ARMENIAN RAPPROCHEMENT BID

AssA-Irada
September 2, 2009 Wednesday
Azerbaijan

The opposition of Turkey and Armenia disagree with the latest agreement
reached by the two countries to normalize their strained relations,
despite the world communitys welcoming the move. Ankara and Yerevan
on Monday agreed with Swiss mediation to start consultations on
forging diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations in a bid
to end a century of hostility. The two countries announced in a joint
statement that they would complete domestic consultations over two
protocols within six weeks, to be followed by their ratification at
Turkish and Armenian parliaments. The Armenian National Congress,
led by opposition leader, former president Levon Ter-Petrosian,
has said restoring cooperation meets the interests of both nations,
and the intent to sign the protocols could be considered as progress
toward establishing diplomatic ties. The Congress claimed, however,
that it was unacceptable to include in the documents a provision that
envisions setting up an intergovernmental commission of historians
questioning the alleged genocide of Armenians.

The Armenian opposition also said the planned ratification of the
protocols in the Turkish and Armenian parliaments raises concerns. This
enables President Serzh Sarkisian to share responsibility with
parliament, while Turkey could delay the ratification under the
pretext of the unresolved status of the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict, postponing the reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border,
the Congress claimed in a statement. The two neighbors have been
at odds and their shared border has been shut since 1993 due to
Armenias policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Armenian
claims on mass killings of their ancestors by Ottoman Turks during
World War I. The Armenian Volunteers bloc labeled the agreements
with Turkey as treason of the criminal Serzh Sarkisian authorities,
calling on world Armenians to vehemently oppose the intended signing
of the mentioned protocols. Armenians residing in Istanbul, Turkey,
welcomed the signs of improvement in Turkish-Armenian relations and
now plan to give an Iftar meal for Muslims in the courtyard of Surp
Grigor Lusavorich Yekeghetsi (the Saint Gregory the Ilumminator
Cathedral) in the Kinaliada Island located on the Sea of Marmara
near Istanbul. Azan, a call for Muslim prayer, will be read at the
church, as well, Turkish Jihan news agency reported. Local Armenians,
who welcomed the Turkish governments move, said they now have more
hope for a bright future. The organizer of the Iftar ceremony, Levon
Shadyan, who heads the Saint Gregory the Ilumminator Cathedral in
Turkey, lauded the agreements reached between Turkey and Armenia,
though his remarks were belated. The problems with our neighbor should
be solved, Shadyan said. You have a neighbor, but you dont open the
door. But if you do open it, he will understand you and you will
understand him. The cleric noted with a great deal of satisfaction
that Turkish-made goods are sold in 98 percent of Armenian stores,
and, if the border reopens, these goods will be delivered directly,
without passing through third countries. Ara Kochunyan, the editor
of the Armenian-language Jamanak newspaper, published in Turkey for
101 years, also said the agreements reached by the two countries
inspire optimism in both nations. But the Turkish opposition and
newspapers delivered a tough response to the development. Rashad Dogru,
who represents the opposition in Turkeys parliament, has told the
Baku-based ATV channel that the opposition would air its grievances
in the legislature in the coming days. Oktay Ekshi, a senior writer
for the influential Hurriyet newspaper, commented: The uproar around
these two protocols will not subside easily, because this will
bring about either forging bilateral relations between Turkey and
Armenia while disrupting Turkey-Azerbaijan relations, or everything
will collapse. Mehmet Yilmaz, another Hurriyet writer, believes
signing of the protocols would be tantamount to Turkeys giving up its
assertion that it wont open the border until the Garabagh conflict is
resolved. Barcin Yinanc, the editor-in-chief of Hurriyet Daily News,
told Radio Liberty that, despite Turkish officials rhetoric, the
fact that Upper Garabagh was not cited in the formal version of the
protocols came as a surprise. Neither do the documents indicate that
Armenian armed forces occupy part of Azerbaijani territory. According
to the Hurriyet editor, this could be described as a result of a
political compromise. International organizations welcomed the Turkish
and Armenian initiatives to mend bilateral ties, following similar
messages from the French and US governments. The European Commission
called on the two countries to act expeditiously to normalize ties. The
organization said Tuesday that the agreements reached would promote
peace and stability in the Caucasus. The European Commission attaches
great importance to the signing and enforcement of the protocol on
restoring diplomatic ties and of the protocol on developing bilateral
relations. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, the acting Secretary General of
the Council of Europe, strongly welcomed the agreement to sign two
protocols between Turkey and Armenia. This is a historic event for
both countries and the region," Boer-Buquicchio said in Strasbourg on
Tuesday. "It will help to normalize the relations between two member
states of the Council of Europe and I would like to encourage the
two countries to continue on the path which will help to improve the
stability in this part of Europe. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office,
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, indicated that Turkey and
Armenia’s plan to start talks aiming to normalize bilateral relations
would contribute to regional stability. The establishment of diplomatic
ties between Turkey and Armenia would be a positive step not just for
the South Caucasus region, but also beyond," Bakoyannis said. "I warmly
welcome this positive step toward normalization of ties between two
OSCE participating states. Bakoyannis called on both sides to build
on the positive momentum achieved in the Swiss-led talks. Russia,
a neghbor of both Turkey and Armenia, positively assessed their
latest drive for a rapprochement. Its foreign ministry emphasized that
both countries are friendly states for Russia. From this standpoint,
Moscow deems the progress as a natural and anticipated process. We
would be very glad if these consultations, which are a domestic
affair, result in substantive agreements, the ministry said. The
Russian government believes that none of the steps envisioned in
the mentioned protocols could be detrimental to any third party. The
Azerbaijani government commented that holding talks on normalization
of relations is a sovereign right of both Turkey and Armenia, however,
Azerbaijans interests should be honored in the process. Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu earlier said opening the border with Armenia
is not on agenda at this point. Ankaras main expectations are Yerevans
relinquishing its claims on the alleged genocide and a settlement to
the Garabagh conflict. Davutoglu pledged that Azerbaijans interests
will be met during all stages of the process. The roadmap to normalize
Turkish-Armenian ties was announced in April, but Monday’s agreements
are considered the first real move toward reaching that goal. Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated during a visit to Baku
in May that Turkey will not open up its border with the neighboring
country so long as it occupies Azerbaijans territories. Signs of
a warming in Turkish-Armenian relations discerned after Turkish
President Abdullah Gul attended a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer
match together with his counterpart Serzh Sarkisian in Yerevan in
September 2008. Further, Gul invited his Armenian counterpart to
Turkey for a return game, due October 14. Also, the two governments
agreed to a comprehensive roadmap this past April to normalize
relations. However, Ankara has made clear that it could fully
normalize ties with Yerevan only after the Upper Garabagh conflict
is settled, i.e. after Armenia pulls out of the occupied Azerbaijani
territories. The Armenian president, in turn, said he will not travel
to the game, unless the Turkish-Armenian border reopens by then or
there are clear signs it is about to open.