Category: Armenian Question

“The great Turk is governing in peace twenty nations from different religions. Turks have taught to Christians how to be moderate in peace and gentle in victory.”Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary

  • TURKEY AND ARMENIA POISED TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS

    TURKEY AND ARMENIA POISED TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS

    Turkey and Armenia are poised to normalise relations non-existent since 1993. The move would be a historic reconciliation between two traditional enemies divided by strategic differences in the Caucasus and the 1915 events that took place in Ottoman empire.

    Analysts following two years of secret talks said the two sides have now agreed on a sweeping package that includes opening a shared border closed since 1993, beginning diplomatic relations and setting up a bilateral intergovernmental commission on issues ranging from customs, tax and public health to history.

    Turkey is also expected to release a “road map” on a solution on Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan that has been under de facto Armenian control since 1994. “The parameters of the deal are very much set,” said Hugh Pope, the Turkey project director for International Crisis Group, which is currently working on a report about Turkish-Armenian relations.

    “The only thing holding things back now is nerves.”

    Analysts in Yerevan said the two governments have tentatively agreed to reveal the package on April 16th, when Turkey’s foreign minister is expected to fly to Yerevan for talks.

    Senior Turkish foreign policy officials refused to confirm the date. The Armenian foreign ministry was unavailable for comment.

    “These are highly sensitive negotiations and both sides have gone to great lengths to keep them secret,” said a Turkish foreign ministry spokesman.

    A radical change of direction from Turkey, which closed its border with Armenia in support of its Azeri ethnic cousins fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1993, the normalisation deal has been on the cards since the AK Party took power in 2002. Talks accelerated considerably after Turkish president Abdullah Gul attended a Turkey- Armenia football match in Yerevan in September 2008.

    Thomas de Waal, author of a highly regarded book on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, thinks the deal has a lot to do with changes in Russia’s south Caucasian policy since it went to war with Georgia in August 2008.

    “The war really drove home Armenia’s reliance on Georgia as a trade conduit,” he said.

    “Russia saw that blowing up one Georgian bridge was enough to deprive [its Armenian ally] of imports for a week. Plus the fact is that Russia now owns Armenia’s economy. If you own the telecom sector and railways, opening up the border is in your interest.”

    Analysts said the strongest objections to the package come from Azerbaijan, which fears, not unreasonably, that the end to a Turkish blockade on Armenia would reduce already limited Armenian incentives to negotiate for a settlement on Nagorno-Karabakh. But there is another, unforeseen stumbling block on the horizon: US president Barack Obama’s visit to Turkey on April 6th. Mr Obama’s visit is primarily aimed at mending relations with a crucial regional ally.

    What makes it sensitive is that it comes barely a fortnight before Armenians the world over gather to commemorate 1915 events and may use the term “genocide”. Mr Obama has pledged to recognise 1915 events as a “genocide”.

    Turkey staunchly opposes the use of the term.

    “To be candid, I’m not sure this [Armenian issue] was factored in fully in the initial decision to schedule this trip,” said Mark Parris, a former US ambassador to Turkey.

    Like Mr Parris, Turkish officials are confident the visit will pass without mishap. Washington is “well aware of the process and [is] working to facilitate it,” said a senior foreign policy official. With a motion for the recognition of 1915 events as “genocide” due to appear before the US Congress shortly, however, some think the normalisation package may be kept waiting in the wings for a while.

    “If the Turks are smart, they will hold this back for leverage” until after April 24th, said a Yerevan-based analyst who is following talks closely.

    For de Waal, meanwhile, the most important implication of a Turkish-Armenian deal is that it could spur Armenian-Azeri peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh which he describes as being “a parody”.

    “Historically the Armenian-Azeri dispute is but a brawl compared to the Armenian-Turkish dispute,” he said.

    “If the Turks are doing a deal with Armenia, there is no reason whatsoever for Armenia and Azerbaijan not to be able to . . . talk constructively.”

    Irish Times

  • ARMENIAN ARMY CONTINUES LARGE-SCALE WAR GAMES IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN

    ARMENIAN ARMY CONTINUES LARGE-SCALE WAR GAMES IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN

    Armenian army started the next phase of large-scale military exercises in the occupied part of Azerbaijan’s Aghdam region at 10:00 today.

    As APA’s Karabagh Bureau reports, heavy and armored vehicle firing and arsons they committed are heard and observed near-front areas of Aghdam. The military exercises are expected to continue 5-7 days not only in Aghdam, but also in Aghdere.

    It should be noted that Armenian armed forces have staged war games in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan with involvement of artillery, armored vehicles and troops for 3 days.

    Armenian army keeps breaching ceasefire

    On March 26, the units of Armenian armed forces fired on the opposite positions of Azerbaijani Armed Forces by machine and submachine guns from their posts in Mososgerk village of Berd region from 12.50 till 13.00, from 18.40 till 19.00 from their posts near Vazashen village of Noyenberyan region from 16.30 till 16.45, from their posts near Shurabad village of Aghdam region from 18.15 till 18.35 from their posts near Tapgaragoyunlu village of Goranboy region, on March 27, from 00.35 till 00.50. from their posts near Bernaber village of Ijevan region.

    Azerbaijani Defense Ministry’s press service told APA that the enemy was silenced by reprisal fire, no casualties were reported.

  • TRADE WITH ARMENIAN DIASPORA

    TRADE WITH ARMENIAN DIASPORA

    business mans view of ……..

    As Turks and Armenians wait for 24th April to see whether U.S. President Barack Obama will utter “genocide”, a new period takes start for Turkish-Armenian relations. Business worlds of two countries launch different projects one after another.

    President of Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC) Kaan Soyak said that there are many projects are waiting to be launched. Soyak stated that “qualified industrial zone” with Armenia and customs free exportation to Russia might form good chances for Turkish businessmen. Soyak said that the biggest trade initiative between two countries will be exportation of Turkey to Armenian diaspora of 7 million population in the World. Soyak said that Turkey will be able to reach Brazil, Argentina and Canada markets through Armenian diaspora in those countries, by establishment of good relations with Armenian diaspora. Soyak underscored that Armenia is the most active country in Caucasus in which Turkey can boost its volume of trade and said, “Now the amount of exportation to Armenia is about $100 million. This amount could be increased to $500 million in short term.

    Establishment of relations with Armenian diaspora and with usage of qualified industrial zone this amount would be even much higher.”

    Kaan Soyak believes that Turkey and Armenia will make a new start if American President Barack Obama does not use the word “genocide” during his speech on 24 April. Turkish and Armenian businessmen are on the alert for possible opening of Turkey-Armenia state border and they have projects ready to be launched in case. Soyak said that the process that is started by Yerevan visit of President Abdullah Gul last year, made Turkish and Armenian businessmen to take action. Soyak said, “There were many projects on our agenda. Their infrastructures are completed, now the project that we deal with is reaching Armenian diaspora.”

    Soyak said that Armenian diaspora is the richest diaspora in the World after Jewish diaspora. He said, “There are 1.2 million Armenian in U.S. and 2 million in Russia. Besides we are interested in the diaspora of Canada, Argentina and Brazil. These people speaks Turkish language with Anatolian dialect and their economical status are very well. More than any other thing, they are ready to cooperate with Turkey.”

    Soyak said that Turkey can reach to the markets that it cannot find place for itself with the help of Armenian diaspora. He said that this new markets can form a new hope against recession.

  • ARMENIANS CREATE OBSTACLES FOR RESEARCHERS TO USE TURKISH ARCHIVES

    ARMENIANS CREATE OBSTACLES FOR RESEARCHERS TO USE TURKISH ARCHIVES

    State Archives Deputy Director General Associate Professor Mustafa Budak said that mostly Japanese and Americans are interested in Turkish archives on Armenian issue. Budak said that Armenian historians struggles for preventing studies of research in Turkish archives.

    Budak stressed that interest of historians to Ottoman archives increases and said, “Foreign researchers who are curious of reasons of success of Ottoman administration are interested in Ottoman archives.”

    Budak said that Armenian diaspora in United States struggles to prevent foreign researchers to use and analyse Ottoman archives and said, “Recently one Armenian from Armenia, two Armenians from diaspora and a Turkish Armenian use Ottoman archives for researches. Armenian diaspora in United States tries to prevent this. Because they are afraid for truth to unveil.”

  • ARMENIAN, GREEK CYPRIOT MINISTERS TO ATTEND CIVILIZATIONS MEETING

    ARMENIAN, GREEK CYPRIOT MINISTERS TO ATTEND CIVILIZATIONS MEETING

    An international forum to be held in Istanbul next week will be a compelling event with high-profile participation from world leaders, while 30 foreign ministers had already confirmed their participation in the forum as of yesterday.

    The Second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) will be held on April 6-7, coinciding with US President Barack Obama’s visit to the Turkish capital, which is also expected to begin on April 6. The White House has yet to release a detailed agenda of Obama’s visit, but he is expected to participate in the forum in Istanbul on its second day after wrapping up his talks in Ankara.

    Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou, whose government is not recognized by Ankara, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, with whose country Turkey has no diplomatic relations with, and Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, whose country is still at odds with Turkey over disputes concerning the Aegean Sea, are among the at least 30 foreign ministers who will participate in a high-level brainstorming meeting within the framework of the UNAOC forum in Istanbul. Among those expected to be present at the second forum is former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami, whose earlier “dialogue of civilizations” initiative laid some of the groundwork for the UNAOC. Iran, along with 82 other countries, is a member of the Group of Friends of the alliance. As of yesterday afternoon, the alliance secretariat had not yet received an affirmative or negative response from Tehran for the invitation extended to Iran at the foreign ministerial level. Forbes magazine on Thursday said, “Though the alliance this week would neither confirm nor deny, it’s a good bet there will be representatives there from Iran.” Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose probable candidacy for the top NATO post has led to a heated debate both in his country and abroad, will also be in Istanbul to participate in the UNAOC Forum, only a few days after a NATO summit on April 3-4 when the transatlantic body is expected to announce its next chief.

    Rasmussen, along with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Bulgarian Georgi Parvanov, Slovenian President Danilo Turk, has already confirmed to Ankara his participation in the forum, diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Today’s Zaman yesterday. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who will participate in a trilateral summit with the presidents of Turkey and Pakistan on April 1 in Ankara, is also likely to attend the forum.

    The UNAOC held its inaugural forum in early 2008 in Madrid.

    Today’s Zaman

  • “I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT OBAMA WILL SAY “GENOCIDE” IN HIS 24 APRIL STATEMENT”

    “I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT OBAMA WILL SAY “GENOCIDE” IN HIS 24 APRIL STATEMENT”

    Giving an interview to Armenian pres, Director of Armenian Center for National and International Studies Richard Giragosian said that Armenia and Turkey will benefit opening of border. He said that diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia will be established after opening of state border.

    He said that Obama has a shift in policy over recognizing so called “Armenian genocide” due to strategical importance of Turkey for plans of US on Iraq, Afghanistan and Middle East, even he pledged for recognition. He said that he does not believe that Obama will use the term “genocide” in his 24 April statement.

    Commenting over decision of Turkey visit of U.S. President Barack Obama, Giragosian said that it means the recognition of Turkey’s increasing role in the region and its future position in international area by United States.

    Replying a question whether he believes that Turkish-Armenian border will be opened in 2009, Armenian expert said that both countries have potential benefits from opening of borders. He said that opening of border will also cause economic growth of eastern region of Turkey which will help Turkey fighting against PKK terrorism.