FM DAVUTOGLU SEEKS SUPPORT FOR ARMENIAN RECONCILIATION
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Hurriyet Daily News
Sept 15 2009
Turkey
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu meets with three opposition parties
to discuss the reconciliation process with Armenia and urge them to
support the two proposed protocols in the upcoming parliamentary vote
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu consecutively visited three opposition
parties Tuesday afternoon to urge them to back the two agreed-upon
protocols related to the Armenian reconciliation process.
His tour started with the Welfare Party, or SP, which is known for
its pro-Islam line. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his allies
shared the same roots with the SP before they set up the ruling Justice
and Development Party, or AKP. SP leader Numan Kurtulmus, however,
seemed to be unconvinced based on his remarks after the meeting.
"It means an obvious concession. Turkey mustn’t open the
border gate unless Armenia withdraws from the occupied lands of
Nagorno-Karabakh. In order to make new friendships and gain credit
in the international scene, we don’t have the right to upset our
Azerbaijani brothers as the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute has been
ongoing for more than 17 years," he told reporters.
With hopes of ending century-old hostility between two neighbors,
Davutoglu continued his meetings at the headquarters of the main
opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP.
CHP leader Deniz Baykal also seemed unconvinced, criticizing that
the protocols are "too ambiguous," except for the article on the
border opening. "There are no signs of ending the occupation in
Nagorno-Karabakh and recognizing the Kars Agreement [which defines
the eastern Turkish border]. Nothing is clear yet how the so-called
genocide claims will be solved or what sort of academics should
convene with what authority," Baykal said.
"Only the border-opening article depends on a timetable. There
is legal binding in one hand and hopeful and wishful waiting in
the other," he said, referring to the long-awaited European Union
promises. Turkey had inked an additional protocol and agreed to open
its ports to new-EU member Cyprus in 2004 as a result of promises to
end isolation over northern Cyprus.
Davutoglu completed his tour with talks with the Democratic Left Party,
or DSP. DSP leader Masum Turker confirmed that it was a productive and
informative meeting. Davutoglu underscored how a national consensus
is important and reiterated his call on opposition leaders to look
closely at the protocols and provide maximum contribution to the
normalization process.
US envoy reiterates his support
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey expressed his support for the
Armenia-Turkey reconciliation process on Tuesday after his talks with
Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin.
"As expressed before, we support this process and hope it will
continue," Jeffrey told reporters.
Avoiding further comments, he said: "The subject is between Turkey and
Armenia, so you will decide. We politically back and seek peace and
stability throughout the Caucasus. We play a key role in the Minsk
Group [to solve the Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute] and especially
support the process between Turkey and Armenia."