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  • Is the door to Armenia being opened?

    09 November 2004,
    Turkish Daily News
    Editorial
    Mehmet Ali Birand

    Is the door to Armenia being opened?

    Turkey received a very interesting report from Yerevan last weekend.

    The Armenian government, led by Robert Kocharyan, in its budget
    proposal sent to the Armenian Parliament noted that, "The recognition
    of the Armenian genocide by Turkey is not the government's primary
    foreign policy objective." The government said the repair of relations
    with Turkey was a priority.

    If Kocharyan intends to implement such a serious policy shift, it
    will soon become apparent. Policies implemented will show whether
    this policy shift is sincere or just a false gesture.

    I know Armenia and Kocharyan. The word "genocide" is such a mystical
    and accepted concept that no matter how much we refute or try to
    disprove it, we will not eradicate this belief. For an Armenian,
    the word "genocide" will always remain in their national psyche.

    For Turkey, it is just the opposite.

    Genocide is unacceptable. No matter how much pressure they put on us,
    no matter what the European Union tells us, a Turk will never accept
    it. Blood was spilt on both sides. Unspeakable horrors were committed
    and shameful things happened. We might exchange apologies because of
    what happened, but never recognize "genocide."

    Armenia is a small and poor neighbor of ours. Turkey is a giant
    knocking on the EU's door. Should these two countries continue to
    wage this genocide battle and always remain enemies? Or should both
    sides preserve their beliefs, let the genocide issue drop from the
    top of the agenda and try to find ways to mend bilateral relations?

    Turkey has made a number of gestures in this respect.

    When Turgut Ozal was prime minister, the Kars border crossing was
    about to be opened. The Armenian invasion of Azerbaijan prevented
    this from happening. When Suleyman Demirel was prime minister, he came
    very close to signing a deal with the former Armenian President Levon
    TerPetrosyan. These meetings, in which even the Nationalist Movement
    Party (MHP) leader Alparslan Turkes took part, the motivation was
    always, "Let's freeze the past and look at today."

    Each time, it was the Armenians that withdrew. For Yerivan, the
    priority always remained with the insistence of the Diaspora making
    Turkey recognize the "genocide."

    Armenia, meanwhile, is trying to survive in its small world, isolated
    from everywhere. Despite the fact that its only door to the West is
    Turkey, it persists in following an impossible dream.

    The news from Yerevan made me ask myself if this was a sincere policy
    change. If true, we can say that this could be an historic turning
    point for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

    Kocharyan is in a position to make this happen. He should not miss
    this opportunity.
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