TODAY’S ZAMAN: TURKISH-ARMENIAN RAPPROCHEMENT IN STALEMATE
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.01.2010 17:18 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish-Armenian rapprochement is in deep trouble and
needs to be rescued by visionary leadership, Today’s Zaman newspaper
observer Omer Taspinar says in his article.
"It has been more than three months since the Turkish and Armenian
foreign ministers signed the two protocols that were supposed to
launch a historic reconciliation and rapprochement process between
Yerevan and Ankara. It was clear that this was not going to be easy,"
the author notes.
"There were major obstacles from the very start. Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan had already linked the ratification of the protocols
and the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border to Armenian concessions
in Nagorno Karabakh. The main reason behind his position is related
to domestic Turkish politics as well as to the rigid Azeri position
regarding Turkish-Armenian relations.
The situation in Armenia is equally complicated. Yerevan has
no intention of relinquishing control of Nagorno Karabakh and must
contend with the hard-line views of its influential global diaspora
and vocal domestic opposition."
Given all these dimensions to the problem, there are clear limits to
how much pressure the administration of Serzh Sargsyan can endure.
Facing growing domestic opposition, the pressure of the diaspora and
the negative tone in Ankara, it is not surprising that Yerevan is
having second thoughts about staying the course.
In short, the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement is in deep trouble and
needs to be rescued by visionary leadership," Omer Taspinar says.
The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the common border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich
by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish
counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of
diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.