TURKEY AND ARMENIA TO RE-ESTABLISH TIES

United Press International
Oct. 6, 2009 at 4:30 PM

ANKARA, Turkey, Oct. 6 (UPI) — One of Europe’s longest-running
disputes could be resolved soon as Turkey and Armenia have agreed to
re-establish diplomatic ties.

"Traitor," the protesters shouted at Armenian President Serge Sarkisian
when he visited Paris last week. It was a rocky start to Sarkisian’s
trip to Armenian communities all over the world, a tour aimed at
raking in support for his bid to reopen a new chapter of diplomacy
with Turkey on Oct. 10.

Last month Sarkisian and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said they would sign documents to re-establish ties and reopen the
countries’ mutual border. The move would help Armenia economically and
Turkey strategically, with energy security, Turkey’s EU membership
and relations with Russia and the United States playing a part in
the development. Washington and Moscow are backing the diplomatic
initiative, observers say.

But not everyone is happy about the thawing of relations. An estimated
5.7 million Armenians live abroad (including 1.4 million in the United
States), significantly outnumbering the 3.2 million living in the
small landlocked country itself.

Many of the Armenian expatriates are against the diplomatic detente
because they are descendants of families that experienced the 1915-1923
violence that killed up to 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman
Empire. Armenia has tried to convince European allies that genocide
took place, a charge Turkey vehemently denies.

The expats protesting in Paris last week feel Sarkisian is betraying
the Armenians killed. But in Armenia, people are eager to reap the
economic benefits the new Turkish-Armenian relations are likely
to bring.

But there are some more hurdles to take for the new diplomacy to come
into effect.

In Turkey, people are critical of Armenia’s occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave in neighboring Azerbaijan. In 1993 Ankara
severed ties with Armenia when it fought a Azerbaijan, a close Turkish
ally. Observers expect some sort of political horse-trading between
Turkey and Armenia on the genocide and Nagorno-Karabakh issues.

On Oct. 10 the foreign ministers from both countries are expected
to sign the accord; it will then be passed on to the parliaments
for consideration.