DISTANCE BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY TOO FAR TO BE TRAVELLED IN ONE GO

EurAsia Review
ce-between-armenia-and-turkey-too.html
April 28 2010

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, last Thursday addressed
the nation in a sombre but calm tone, to announce that the process
of normalisation of relations with Turkey that he had initiated
soon after taking office in 2008 was being suspended. Sargsyan was
accepting a reality that has been obvious for a number of months,
namely that despite the political will in the leadership in both
Armenia and Turkey to normalise relations, the distance separating the
two countries was too long for the journey to be travelled in one go.

Neither Turkey nor Armenia are yet ready to take the last historic
step that would see the two countries establish diplomatic relations,
and the border opened. Admittedly, Sargsyan went further to stick
his neck out in this process than did Turkish Prime Minister Tayib
Erdogan, and so for the moment Armenia feels it has occupied the
"moral" high ground in this affair, at least with the international
community. Washington, Moscow, Brussels and other capitals rushed to
heap praise on Sargsyan for stopping short of declaring the process
dead. In his speech Sargsyan was even able to find words to praise
Turkish President Abdulla Gul, who many see as being the main Turkish
architect of the reconciliation process.

Today, Armenia, and Armenians in the diaspora, mark the 95th
anniversary of the 1915 events in Anatolia, described by Armenians
and many others as the "Armenian Genocide". It is an anniversary that
raises emotions on both sides. Its significance and implications have
become deeply embroiled not only in the politics of modern day Armenia
and Turkey, but also in the internal politics of the United States
and a number of European countries, where diaspora organisations,
lobbyists and interest groups are engaged in acrimonious exchanges.

Many people died in Anatolia in 1915 and the quicker their memory can
be remembered by everybody in a dignified way that unites rather than
divides the better for all Armenians and all Turks. One hopes that
by the time of the 100th anniversary in 2015 this would be possible.

Much will depend on when the Armenia-Turkey dialogue process can be
resumed. Both sides can build on the distance that they have already
travelled. Domestic political factors in the two countries create
serious obstacles for both sides. However the biggest obstacle that
emerged over the last year was the opposition of Azerbaijan to the
process moving separately from negotiations on the resolution of
the Karabakh conflict. Armenia rejects the linkage, whilst Turkey
now accepts that that is the case. Those who reject the connection
argue that Armenia-Turkish relations are complex enough without adding
Karabakh as a further complication on top of them. However there is
a case to argue that introducing such a connection may not in the
end be such a bad thing. It has introduced a sense of urgency in the
Karabakh negotiations that some say is long overdue.

The international community needs to remain fully engaged in supporting
both Armenia and Turkey and Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the
problems between them. The journey is long, but it does not need to
be endless.

LINKS is a British non governmental organisation working for the
peaceful resolution of conflicts and in support of democracy and
sustainable development in societies in transition, through dialogue
and innovative initiatives.