Journal of Turkish Weekly
Oct 1 2005
Armenia and Turkey-EU Relations
Kemalettin SUKOCA (YEREVAN and ANKARA) – Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian said that “If Turkey wants to join the EU it should
become like the other member states: settle problems with the
neighbors and reconcile with its past”.
Speaking about the European Parliament’s (EP) resolution on Armenian
allegations, Vartan Oskanian said that discussion of “Armenian issues
will have positive impact on improvement of Armenia-Turkish
relations”. “If Turkey wants to join the EU it should become like the
other member states: settle problems with the neighbors and reconcile
with its past”, the foreign minister said labeling the resolution
“positive and natural as it should have been”.
Ironically Armenia has thorny relations with its all neighbors except
Iran. And Armenia is the only European country who occupies another
European countries territories. The experts on Caucasus say that the
Armenian irredentism threat Georgian territorial integrity. Armenia
does not recognise neighboring Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s national
borders. Armenia has only good relations with Iran and Russia in the
region.
`TURKISH MEMBERSHIP IS GOOD FOR THE ARMENIANS TOO
Davut Sahiner told the JTW that a EU member Turkey would be very
beneficial for the Caucasus including Armenia. Armenian economy would
be integrated into the European markets. Moreover a EU member Turkey
will contribute to solve the Armenian problem, including the
allegations regarding the 1915 events’. Turkey Armenians strongly
have supported Turkey’s EU membership with the Greek minority in
Turkey. The Leader of the Armenian Church in Turkey urged the EU
leaders to support Turkey’s EU membership. Mesrob II also said that a
failure in Turkey’s membership process would harm regional stability.
Mesrob II also wrote a letter to the 25 EU foreign ministers, who
will hold an emergency meeting Sunday.
Similarly Dr. Sedat Laciner said that Turkey’s EU membership will
guarantee Armenia’s security in the region. `Armenians does not feel
themselves in a secure region. This is a perception. In fact no state
plans to attack Yerevan. However as a result of this perception,
Armenia has always been a conflict environment. No investor likes to
make investment to such a country. Moreover Armenia spends a lot to
militarization while Turkey and Azerbaijan has lured great foreign
investment. If Turkey becomes EU member, Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan will be neighbor to the European Union. Possibly all these
three countries will follow Turkey in near future. The Turkish people
expected that the Armenians would be the first nation to support
Turkey’s EU membership. Armenians in Turkey did actually. However the
Diaspora Armenians have made anything possible to undermine Turkish
EU bid. I think they cannot see what is good for Armenia and
Armenians, or they intentionally try to prevent Turkey’s membership,
because if Turkey enters the EU, the nature of the Armenian problem
would change a lot. The Diaspora institutions could not abuse the
problems. And finally a solution to Armenian issue will make many
poor in diaspora `Armenian Issue industry’.
Kemalettin SUKOCA (JTW)