OPPOSITION GIVES CONDITIONAL SUPPORT TO ARMENIA PROTOCOLS
Today’s Zaman
Sept 16 2009
Turkey
Opposition leaders support steps taken by the government to normalize
relations with Armenia, but they have certain conditions that they
want followed in order to continue their support, recent talks Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had with opposition politicians have revealed.
Turkey and Armenia agreed in late August to start internal political
consultations with protocols on the establishment of diplomatic
ties and the development of bilateral relations. Foreign Minister
Davutoglu has been speaking with leaders of political parties
represented in Parliament and those who garnered more than 1 percent
of the total vote in general elections as part of his domestic
consultation process. The opposition supports normalization but
has three conditions for reopening the border with Armenia. These
are Armenia’s recognition of the 1921 Treaty of Kars with the USSR
that defines the Turkish-Armenian border, its withdrawal from the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and giving up its claims that the Ottomans’
forced deportation of Armenians in 1915 amounted to genocide.
Davutoglu told opposition leaders that Armenia’s recognition of
Turkey’s border is a part of the process, adding that Yerevan would
formally recognize the Treaty of Kars. He also reminded leaders that
the protocol calls for a study of the 1915 events by historians.
Davutoglu, who started his tour this week on Tuesday, has so far talked
with the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Democratic Left Party
(DSP), the Grand Unity Party (BBP), the Democrat Party (DP) and the
Felicity Party (SP).
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli has rejected
Davutoglu’s request for a meeting, saying he should explain the details
of the Armenian Protocol at a general assembly session in Parliament.
The first leader Davutoglu met with was SP Chairman Numan KurtulmuÅ~_,
who relayed the message that his party does not think it would be right
to reopen the Turkish-Armenian border, closed in 1993, before Armenia
ends the occupation of the Azeri region of Nagorno-Karabakh and warned
the government not to take any steps that might offend Azerbaijan.
The CHP’s three conditions CHP leader Baykal in his meeting with
Davutoglu emphasized that the CHP would support opening the border
with Armenia only on three conditions, which are Armenia’s ending
its refusal to recognize the 1921 Treaty of Kars and ratify it in
Parliament, ending the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh in line with
UN Security Council resolutions and give up pushing for recognition
of the 1915 incidents as genocide on the international agenda. Baykal
expressed his opinion that Armenia’s claims of genocide of Armenians
at the hand of Turks were poisoning the relationship between the two
countries. Baykal stated that as long as these three conditions are
met, the CHP would support more steps than just opening the border.
Similar requests were expressed by DSP leader Masum Turker, who also
noted that pressure from the EU and US on opening the Turkish-Armenian
border was a mistake. Speaking to Today’s Zaman on the issue,
Turker said: "Turkey has always been respectful of its neighbors’
territorial integrity, whereas Armenia still demands land from Turkey,
even sometimes in official documents. Despite the fact that Turkey
recognizes the Treaty of Kars signed with Russia, the Armenian side
says even if the protocol is ratified and the border reopened, it
will not recognize the Treaty of Kars. Those who are pressuring us
to open the border should make sure that Armenia respects Turkey’s
territorial integrity."
Recalling that the initial talks have been Swiss-mediated, Turker
said this was a mistake. He said the Swiss Federal Parliament has
recognized the 1915 incidents as genocide, and underlined that they
had filed a lawsuit against Turkish politician Dogu Perincek for
denying the genocide in Swiss territory. "Switzerland is a side in
this issue. The talks being held under the mediation of a country that
has already chosen its side has weakened its position here. It would
have been much better if these talks had taken place under mediation
of a neutral country."