The pace of the thaw taking place between Turkey and Armenia is nothing short of breathtaking. Much attention has been focused on Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s having attended a football match in Yerevan at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarkisian, but the two sides are already moving beyond symbolism. A deal has been struck under which Armenian power stations will supply electricity to Turkey, and state-run Turkish Radio Television has signed a cooperation pact with Armenia 1 TV. In turn, the rapidly warming bilateral ties are already fueling plans for a new grouping of countries in the Caucasus, one whose remit would include multilateral arbitration of international disputes. Gul has even professed full confidence that the issue which caused Turkey to close its border with Armenia in 1993, the latter’s war on Azerbaijan over the Nagorno Karabakh enclave, can be resolved with relative ease.
The Daily Star – Editorial – All the right moves: Turkey’s charm offensive inspires hope.
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