KINIKLIOGLU: ‘ANKARA REGARDS TURKISH-ARMENIAN NORMALIZATION FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE’

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Dec 4 2009

The panel, "Turkey and Armenia: The Road Ahead," organized by the
German Marshall Fund was held in Brussels with the participation of the
Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Foreign Affairs Vice President,
Suat Kiniklioglu, and Chief Advisor of the Armenian President,
Vigen Sargsyan.

The panel was moderated by Ron Asmus, director of the German Marshall
Fund. During the panel, Kiniklioglu indicated the transformative
potential of the Turkish-Armenian normalization on the South Caucasian
region.

Kiniklioglu said, "Demanding normalization on one part of the
Caucasia while wanting the continuation of a problem just near you
is illogical".

Pointing out the progress made in the Karabakh issue, Kiniklioglu said,
"The ratification of the protocols by the TBMM is linked to Armenian
withdrawal from the 7 occupied regions of Azerbaijan."

After Vigen Sargsyan indicated that Turkey has until February to ratify
the protocols, Kiniklioglu said, "It is wrong to impose such time
tables on the normalization period. Today, Turkey as it was in the
past, is observing the regional developments closely and expects the
region involving Karabakh, to go under a comprehensive stabilization
and peace process.

Kiniklioglu further noted "The steps taken by Turkey in its
neighborhood policy go off the beaten track. Our groundbreaking
foreign policy is appreciated by the international community. We
will constitute security and stability in South Caucasia with the
participation of all regional countries. The situation between Armenia
and Azerbaijan will also be solved. Status quo is not sustainable. For
the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, diplomatic
relations have been established between Turkey and Armenia, and an
opportunity for peace in South Caucasia has emerged. South Caucasia,
the Caspian Sea and Central Asia constitute a corridor leading to
natural resources. Therefore, the stability of the region is vital
for all countries. In Armenia however, there is an active Diaspora
and this is a sensitive issue for both countries. We have taken great
step towards the normalization of relations. Turkish-EU relations
and the process of Turkish membership will be a stabilizing factor
for Caucasia.

The international community has seen how fragile South Caucasia is
after the war during the Georgian crisis. The crisis was an important
lesson for us. Turkey is aiming to stabilize the region by creating
a Turkish-Armenian dialogue. Even if the protocols are not ratified,
this process cannot go backwards; we know which way we are supposed
to go now. The state of Turkish-Armenian relations is related to
the solution of the conflict right beside us. Aside from Karabakh,
7 other regions within Azerbaijan are also occupied by Armenia. From
the Turkish perspective, these protocols are not only about bilateral
relations between Turkey and Armenia but also about the stability of
the region as a whole, ranging from Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Georgia,
the Caspian Sea to the Central Asian oil reserves. The leaders of
Turkey and Armenia need to take bold steps and come to terms with it.

For us, these protocols are efforts for guaranteeing the stability
in the region. I am optimistic about this and I believe the protocols
will be signed. The Georgian, Azeri, Armenian and Turkish people are
not obligated to live within an unstable environment."

Vigen Sargsyan also commented on the issue by saying that "the
Turkish public expects support from the international community for
the ratification of protocols. Both countries know that there will
be certain hardships related to the opening of the borders. However,
in the long term, this process will be beneficial for both countries.

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the last closed border
in Europe must be opened. There is a great chance for Turkey to take
its place in South Caucasia. Since the fall of the Soviet Union,
Turkey excluded itself from South Caucasia, now there is a window
of opportunity for Turkey to be actively involved in the region’s
politics again. If, however, Turkey wants ratification, it should
keep the matter of Karabakh off the protocols. These protocols do not
include the matter of Karabakh and Armenia is not ready to negotiate
with both countries at the same time. Armenia supports Turkish
membership into the EU. Turkey within the EU will be a more stable,
secure, and transparent neighbor. But the time limit that has been
given is also crucial. We have chosen January as the date for the
final decision. If a decision is not made by then, the process may
be interrupted due to political reasons. By normalization, it does
not mean becoming brothers over night; its meaning is to open the
borders and start a dialogue. Either we carry on with this process
without including the Karabakh issue or we call it. We do not want
to be used for other policy considerations."