ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS. A SCHEDULE JANUARY 16, 2009
Aysor
Sept 4 2009
Armenia
"We have never been so close with Armenia in the process of normalizing
relations", – declares Ali Babajan.
The answer of E. Nalbandian followed. "We are too close in the
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. We can go further and
solve the problems if Turkey will approach the question like Armenia
and will open the boarders without any preconditions. After that
we will be able to establish a committee and discuss the bilateral
issues."
January 29, 2009 RA President holds talks with the Turkish Prime
Minister in Davos.
February 7, 2009 A. Babajan and E. Nalbandyan together with the RA
President Serzh Sargsyan hold talks in the 45th summit of Munich’s
Security Council.
February 19, 2009 Going forwards to the wave of the criticisms the
Turkish Education Ministry makes a decision to stop showing "SarO~B
Gelin" film in the schools replaces it with other film, which shows the
"real face and of Armenians and the Armenian case". The film shows the
destructions and demolitions realized by the Armenians in Igdir city.
April 7, 2009 The President of the USA B. Obama mentions the following
during his visit to Turkey: "Every state should function proceeding
from its past, and accepting the past we can make a better future. I
know that here many people have a sharp disposition concerning the
events of 1915 … but referring to the past Turkey and Armenia can
establish more open, constructive relations.
We have already witnessed the determined and bold steps of the Armenian
leaders. But the boarders will be returned to the Turkish and Armenian
people by the peaceful coexistence. This is the reason why the USA
supports the final settlement of the Armenia – Turkish relations."
April 6-7, 2009 The RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian visits
Turkey; during that visit by the mediation of the USA President
B. Obama a meeting with A. Babajan took place. An agreement was
reached to sign a treaty during Babjan’s visit to Yerevan on April 16,
on establishing diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia.
On April 7, in the morning the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Turkey meet each other for discussing the details. A. Babajan mentions
that "He does not care about the repercussion of Baku concerning the
establishment of diplomatic relations between Yerevan and Ankara. Even
more within the last period Baku has lost the role that he could play
in the region."
April 10, 2009 The Prime Minister Erdoghan announced that "Turkey will
not sign a final treaty with Armenia as there is no final agreement
concerning the NKR issue." This statement was followed by suchlike
repercussions of other ministers and officials of Ankara.
April 14, 2009 Peter Semnebi special representative of the EU for
South Caucasus calls to Turkey for opening the boarders with Armenia,
highlighting that every step directed to the normalization of the
relations and opening the boarders is profitable not only for the
two sides, but also for EU.
April 16, 2009 The Turkish Foreign Minister A. Babajan visits Yerevan
to participate at the 20th session of the Ministerial Council of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization. The announcement of the
RA FM E. Nalbandian follows the session; announcement says that the
sides are not going to sign any document: the talks go on; it seems
possible to solve the problem in the near future.
April 22, 2009
After the USA mediation and long lasted maneuvers on April 22,
at night the FMs of Armenia, Turkey and Switzerland appeared with a
joint statement about the road-map of the settlement of the Armenian –
Turkish relations.
April 22, 2009 The USA Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes a
speech in the US Congress stating that Armenia and Turkey asked for
a help from the USA on their way of normalizing relations, and the
US President B. Obama is completely supporting that request. The US
State Secretary added that opening the boarder will accelerate the
smoothening of the sad historical facts and the final settlement of
the relations.
April 23, 2009 The official Washington welcomed the steps of Armenia
and Turkey and the planning of the "road-map". At the same time
the White House stated that it wishes to see the development of the
Armenian-Turkish relations without preconditions.
April 23, 2009 Secretary-General of both the Council of the European
Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU) and High Representative
for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Francisco Javier
Solana de Madariaga welcomes the declaration of the "road map" aimed
at normalization of the bilateral relations of Armenia and Turkey. He
mentions that it is an important step both for the two countries and
Europe as it will serve as a basis for the establishment of stability
and security in that difficult region.
April 23, 2009 Bernard Kuchner, the Foreign Minister of France touching
upon the "road map" that this step of Armenia and Turkey proves
to the world that friendly relations should be established through
negotiations. The Armenian – Turkish talks have a special role for the
security and peace of whole South Caucasus which is very important for
both EU and France. In the same time parallel with the normalization
of the relations the NKR conflict settlement should be processed.
April 29, 2009 Russian Federation announced that Russia welcomes all
the steps of RA and Turkey: they will change the present status quo
and will transform the relations to the constructive platform. At the
same time was mentioned that this is the problem of only Yerevan and
Ankara, and there can’t be interference of any third side.
May 5, 2009 The RA FM E. Nalbandian meets State Secretary Hillary
Clinton during the visit to Washington. Within the issues discussed
they touched also upon questions like the Armenian – Turkish relations:
The USA State Secretary calls the "road map" a historical document
of normalizing the Armenian – Turkish bilateral relations.
May 13, 2009 During his visit to Baku the Prime Minister Erdoghan
states that Armenia will stay with the boarders closed as long as will
keep the Azerbaijani territories occupied. "There is a cause-effect
chain here: The occupation of the Nagorno Karabakh is the cause and
the closure of the boarders is the effect."
May 14, 2009 RA Foreign Minister E. Nalbandian in the meeting with
Brian Folly, the UK and Northern Ireland Special Representative to
South Caucasus, mentions, referring to the statement of Erdoghan
made in the Azerbaijani Parliament, that if Turkey wants to support
the NKR conflict settlement, it should not interfere the issue at
all. Otherwise its interference can disturb the process.
May 18, 2009 Turkey as well as the foreign press speaks about
the Turkish President Gul and the Prime Minister Erdoghan having
different opinions about the settlement of the relations with Armenia:
if the president is for the opening the boarders, the Prime Minister,
on the contrary, is against it.
May 21, 2009 The French embassy in Turkey expresses the disposition
of official Paris, according to which France calls to Turkish
Government to stay apart from connecting the settlement of Armenian
– Turkish relations and opening the boarders with the NKR conflict
settlement. Those are completely different questions and France
is supporting and welcoming the efforts of Armenia and Turkey for
establishing bilateral relations, and in the same time it continues
working as a Minsk group co-chair.
June 5, 2009 During his visit to Washington the FM of Turkey Ahmed
Davudoghlu stated that the negotiations with Armenia continue. The
opening of the boarders till the end of 2009 depends on the negotiation
process. The MFA escapes to answer the question whether the NKR
issue is a precondition for the settlement of Armenian – Turkish
relations. Instead it says: "Our policy is very clear; we wish to
see peace and well being in the South Caucasus."
June 13, 2009 The Turkish MF A. Davudoghlu appeared with a statement
according to which for the stability in South Caucasus we need reach
the NKR conflict settlement. In this concern Turkey tries to settle
the relations with all the neighbors. The relations with Armenia,
according to him, influence on its ties with the USA which shouldn’t
be like that.
June 17, 2009 In the South Caucasus Peter Semnebi the special
representative of the EU for the South Caucasus, stated that Turkey
has made a step back from the settlement process conditioned with
the inner and sharp repercussions. But the pause shouldn’t be long,
otherwise there will be a serious step back.
June 26, 2009 In the meeting of the FMs of the G8 in the Trieste
touched also upon the Amenian-Turkish relations mentioning that they
completely support the development of cooperation in South Caucasus
and the settlement of the Armenian – Turkish relations.
June 30, 2009 On the non official meeting of the OSCE member states FMs
in the Greek Korfu Island the Turkish Foreign Minister A. Davudoghlu
seizes the opportunity and meets the RA FM E. Nalbandian. He assures
that Turkey is determined to settle the relations with Armenia.
July 3, 2009 The RA FM Nalbandian welcoming his Turkish counterpart’s
statement that said that Turkey stays faithful to the agreement
got with Armenia, reminds in the interview with Dora Bakoyanis, the
OSCE acting President, that the agreement including the opening of
the boarders without preconditions. Nalbandian also mentions that
the process between Armenia and Turkey is not just a dialogue but
a negotiation.
July 5, 2009 The situation in Caucasus is being discussed by the
Turkish President A. Gul and the US President B. Obama on the phone
call. The Turkish President according to the records of the White
House, informs the US President about the present condition of the
Armenian – Turkish relations.
July 31, 2009 The RA President Serzh Sargsyan mentions during
his meeting with the representatives of the Armenian Diaspora
that, "In the 21st century we shouldn’t speak by the language of
preconditions." Armenia will not accept any precondition during the
regulation of Armenian – Turkish relations. S. Sargsyan also added
that the Armenian side has stretched out his hand to Turkey for
establishing diplomatic relations, in spite of the historical facts.
July 31, 2009 In the letter directed to the US President B. Obama the
US 82 congressmen express their concern about the cessation of Armenian
– Turkish relations settlement. The authors of the letter in the same
time highlight the constructive disposition and policy of Armenia.
August 21, 2009 In the phone talk with the US State Secretary
H. Clinton the RA President S. Sargsyan discussed the regional
developments, as well as the Armenian – Turkish relations. In the
same time the RA President stated that he will leave for the Football
meeting only if, according to the former agreement, the boarder will
be open, or the sides will be in that process.
August 29, 2009 The Prime Minister of Turkey and the President of
Azerbaijan during the phone talk realized by the initiation of the
Turkish side discussed the bilateral relations touching upon the
NKR conflict settlement. The Turkish Prime Minister informs I. Aliev
about the developments of the relations with Armenia.
August 31, 2009 By the initiation of the US State Secretary
H. Clinton there was a phone talk with the Turkish Foreign Minister
A. Davudoghlu. The main and the only question discussed was the
Armenian – Turkish relations.
August 31, 2009 According to the statements of the Armenian,
Turkish FMs and Swiss Confederation Armenia and Turkey had reached
an agreement to launch inner discussions over the following records:
"A record about establishing diplomatic relations", and "A record
about developing the bilateral relations". The process will go on for
6 weeks, after which the sides will sign the mentioned above documents,
presenting them to the verification of the Parliament.
September 1, 2009 The Turkish Foreign Minister A. Davudoghlu informs
in his phone talk with the RF Foreign Minister S. Lavrov about
Armenian-Turkish last developments and asked the latter to accelerate
the steps directed to the NKR conflict settlement for establishing
stability and security in Caucuses.
September 1, 2009 The Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation
appears with the official statement, according which Russia welcomes
and accepts the steps undertaken by Armenia and Turkey and expresses
its positive opinion about the 2 records.
September 2, 2009 The Turkish Foreign Minister A. Davudoghlu informs
that soon active developments are expected on the Armenian – Turkish
platform. The meetings of the Turkish and Armenian delegations have
already been held in Heybeliada Island. But as Erdoghan mentions the
records have no force and will not have if the parliaments will not
verify them.