Tehran Times , Iran
Sept 6 2009
Turkey and Armenia getting closer to peace?
By Salman Ansari Javid
In a breakthrough that came about after a century of hostilities
Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols to establish diplomatic
relations, the two countries announced Monday. In talks brokered by
Switzerland the two countries’ foreign ministries said that they would
begin talks aimed at producing a formal agreement.
The protocols said the border, which has been closed for more than 15
years, would be opened within two months of the ratification of each
country’s Parliament. The ratification process is expected to be
completed within six weeks.
The protocols also call for the formation of an international history
commission to study the Armenian genocide, the central dispute between
the two nations that started at the end of the Ottoman Empire. Armenia
claims that from 1915 to 1918 more than one million Armenians were
massacred by the Ottoman Turk government. There is little dispute
among historians about the genocide. However, Ankara differs over the
number of Armenians killed in the conflict that Turkey defines as
civil war.
France has already classified this incident genocide, and it is
presently under debate in the U.S. Congress. The Islamic Republic has
chosen to stay neutral on the issue.
The two countries have never had diplomatic relations, and their
border has been closed since 1993, when Armenia and Azerbaijan went to
war over the enclave of Nagomo-Karabakh. Turkey supported Azerbaijan
during the dispute.
Nagomo-Karabakh is mainly populated by ethnic Armenians. The enclave
broke away from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, sparking a 1992-94 war
between Armenian-backed separatists and the Azeri army.
Over 35,000 people were killed in the civil war and over one million
people were displaced. A ceasefire was agreed in 1994 but the
territory remains under Armenian control.
There are still minor skirmishes at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border
where two formidable forces face each other. Armenia called in the
Russian forces who face Turkey, a NATO country.
Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul’s `Football Diplomacy’ in September
2008, created hopes for a friendship when he became the first modern
Turkish leader to visit Armenia, for a football World Cup qualifier
(which Armenia lost). The return match is scheduled in Istanbul and
President Serge Sargsyan of Armenia is invited to attend.
At the same time, the Swiss mediated talks which began last year
yielded results when Armenia agreed to normalize border and trade ties
before the genocide and other contentious issues could be discussed.
Olli Rehn, the European enlargement commissioner, who oversees
Turkey’s EU membership application, welcomed the deal as a step
forward.
Turkey is under pressure from EU members to normalize its relations
with Armenia and ease laws on its minority Kurd population to allow
for free expression of political beliefs and stop suppression of
Kurdish culture.
Last week, Turkey signaled the opening of new talks with its Kurdish
minority, a conflict that has killed over 40,000 people.
On the other hand open borders can only help Armenia’s battered
economy. First of all Armenian industries’ will have access to some 70
million Turkish consumers and secondly its role as a transit country
will be greatly expanded.
The regional countries have a lot to benefit too from a peaceful
neighborhood