Tweet
Journal of Turkish Weekly
April 13 2005
Armenia Needs Turkey to Survive
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN: NO TERRITORIAL CLAIMS ON TURKEY
Jan SOYKOK (ANKARA) - Armenian President Robert Kocharian said
`Armenia has no territorial claims on Turkey' at the Yerevan State
University on Monday. "No Armenian state structures have made any
territorial claims against Turkey" he added. However he implied
territorial demands could be after recognition of the so-called
genocide. Armenia and Diaspora accuse Turkey of coming killing
against the Armenians about a century ago. Armenian Constitution call
Turkey's eastern province `Western Armenia' and Armenian politicians
frequently use an irredentist approach. 20 percent of Azerbaijan is
under Armenian occupation for more than adecade.
"A campaign for international recognition of the genocide against
Armenians is one of the tasks on our foreign policy agenda,"
Kocharian said. Kocharian, a Karabakh War veteran, is known 'falcon'
in foreign policy and defends an aggressive foreign policy towards
Turkey and Azerbaijain. Ter-Petrosian, previous Armenian President,
was more moderate and argued historical disputes should not be at the
core of Turkey-Armenia relations. Kocharian's aggressive Turkish
policies prevent Turkish government to normalize its relations with
Armenia. Though Armenia-Turkey territorial borders are closed,
international flights between Istanbul and Yerevan continues and
indirect trade between Turkey and Armenia reached 200 million dollars
in 2004. More than 50.000 citizens of Armenia illegally work in
Istanbul.
ARMENIA URGED TO `CLEARLY' RECOGNIZE TURKEY'S BORDERS
Armenia's reluctance to recognize international borders in the
Caucasus prevent stability and security in the region. And this
disturbs the US and the EU. According to Emil Danielyan's report from
Armenia Liberty, Armenia would make the reopening of the
Turkish-Armenian border easier by explicitly recognizing Turkey's
territorial integrity, a renowned U.S. scholar who has helped to
promote dialogue between the two estranged neighbors said on Monday.
David Phillips, who chaired the U.S.-sponsored Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation Commission (TARC), also accused the administration of
President George W. Bush of mishandling long-running U.S. efforts to
improve relations between Ankara and Yerevan.
`The Armenian government has to state clearly and unequivocally that
it makes no territorial claim on Turkey,' Phillips told RFE/RL in an
interview. `If that message were sent ... it would create conditions
for Turkey to move forward in a much more positive way.'
ARMENIA NEEDS TURKEY
Dr. Sedat Laciner, director of Ankara-based ISRO, said that the only
serious problem was recognition of the international borders by the
Armenians:
`Armenian genocide campaigns naturally disturb Turkey and the Turks.
They do not accept such an insult. Nevertheless neither Turkish
government nor the Turkish public think historical accusations can
justify a closed-border and no diplomatic relations. Turkey's
precondition is recognition of international borders. Armenia says it
has no territorial claims, but Yerevan implies the Eastern parts of
Turkey is Western Armenia. Many Armenian politicians and leaders
sworn to `recapture' the so-called lost territories in Turkey. The
Armenian Declaration of Independence clearly show the irredentist
intentions. Moreover, Armenia does not recognize Azerbaijan-Armenia
border and 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories have been under
Armenian occupation. Armenian politicians undermine territorial
integrity of Georgia. In brief, Armenia has to recognize its borders
with Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Otherwise Turkish government
cannot normalize its relations with Yerevan. Ankara does what it did
for Serbia in past and what the US does now for Cuba, Iran and Syria.
A huge part of a European state (Azerbaijan) is under military
occupation of another European state (Armenia). Armenia should know
that the Armenian occupation cannot last forever, and Turkey cannot
accept Armenian occupation. If Turkey accepts any change in borders
by force, no country can maintain stability and security in Caucasus,
Balkans and the Middle East.'
Laciner further argued that Turkey and Armenia could be strategic
allies if the border issues between Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan
solved:
`The extremist Armenians want more and more territories. They want
Eastern Turkey, Western Azerbaijan, and Southern Georgia. However
they cannot maintain the existing population in Armenia. The Armenian
population has dramatically decreased. As a matter of fact that
Armenia does not need any more territory, but human power and good
friends. An aggressive and irredentist Armenia cannot survive in the
Caucasus. Armenia need time to cure its diseases inherited from the
Soviet period. Armenia needs Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan to solve
its problems and to integrate its political and economic structures.
The current Turkish Government is ready to normalize its relations
with Armenia. However if Armenian threatens Turks and demands more
territories, no Turkish government could take any step in
normalization. In fact Turkey does not need Armenian economy or
political support, because Armenian economy is a tiny one and less
than an ordinary Turkish city's size. Turkey can solve its
transportation problems with Central Asia and Caucasus over the
Russia, Georgia and Iran routes. However Armenia needs Turkey to
survive.'
April 13 2005
Armenia Needs Turkey to Survive
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN: NO TERRITORIAL CLAIMS ON TURKEY
Jan SOYKOK (ANKARA) - Armenian President Robert Kocharian said
`Armenia has no territorial claims on Turkey' at the Yerevan State
University on Monday. "No Armenian state structures have made any
territorial claims against Turkey" he added. However he implied
territorial demands could be after recognition of the so-called
genocide. Armenia and Diaspora accuse Turkey of coming killing
against the Armenians about a century ago. Armenian Constitution call
Turkey's eastern province `Western Armenia' and Armenian politicians
frequently use an irredentist approach. 20 percent of Azerbaijan is
under Armenian occupation for more than adecade.
"A campaign for international recognition of the genocide against
Armenians is one of the tasks on our foreign policy agenda,"
Kocharian said. Kocharian, a Karabakh War veteran, is known 'falcon'
in foreign policy and defends an aggressive foreign policy towards
Turkey and Azerbaijain. Ter-Petrosian, previous Armenian President,
was more moderate and argued historical disputes should not be at the
core of Turkey-Armenia relations. Kocharian's aggressive Turkish
policies prevent Turkish government to normalize its relations with
Armenia. Though Armenia-Turkey territorial borders are closed,
international flights between Istanbul and Yerevan continues and
indirect trade between Turkey and Armenia reached 200 million dollars
in 2004. More than 50.000 citizens of Armenia illegally work in
Istanbul.
ARMENIA URGED TO `CLEARLY' RECOGNIZE TURKEY'S BORDERS
Armenia's reluctance to recognize international borders in the
Caucasus prevent stability and security in the region. And this
disturbs the US and the EU. According to Emil Danielyan's report from
Armenia Liberty, Armenia would make the reopening of the
Turkish-Armenian border easier by explicitly recognizing Turkey's
territorial integrity, a renowned U.S. scholar who has helped to
promote dialogue between the two estranged neighbors said on Monday.
David Phillips, who chaired the U.S.-sponsored Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation Commission (TARC), also accused the administration of
President George W. Bush of mishandling long-running U.S. efforts to
improve relations between Ankara and Yerevan.
`The Armenian government has to state clearly and unequivocally that
it makes no territorial claim on Turkey,' Phillips told RFE/RL in an
interview. `If that message were sent ... it would create conditions
for Turkey to move forward in a much more positive way.'
ARMENIA NEEDS TURKEY
Dr. Sedat Laciner, director of Ankara-based ISRO, said that the only
serious problem was recognition of the international borders by the
Armenians:
`Armenian genocide campaigns naturally disturb Turkey and the Turks.
They do not accept such an insult. Nevertheless neither Turkish
government nor the Turkish public think historical accusations can
justify a closed-border and no diplomatic relations. Turkey's
precondition is recognition of international borders. Armenia says it
has no territorial claims, but Yerevan implies the Eastern parts of
Turkey is Western Armenia. Many Armenian politicians and leaders
sworn to `recapture' the so-called lost territories in Turkey. The
Armenian Declaration of Independence clearly show the irredentist
intentions. Moreover, Armenia does not recognize Azerbaijan-Armenia
border and 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories have been under
Armenian occupation. Armenian politicians undermine territorial
integrity of Georgia. In brief, Armenia has to recognize its borders
with Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Otherwise Turkish government
cannot normalize its relations with Yerevan. Ankara does what it did
for Serbia in past and what the US does now for Cuba, Iran and Syria.
A huge part of a European state (Azerbaijan) is under military
occupation of another European state (Armenia). Armenia should know
that the Armenian occupation cannot last forever, and Turkey cannot
accept Armenian occupation. If Turkey accepts any change in borders
by force, no country can maintain stability and security in Caucasus,
Balkans and the Middle East.'
Laciner further argued that Turkey and Armenia could be strategic
allies if the border issues between Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan
solved:
`The extremist Armenians want more and more territories. They want
Eastern Turkey, Western Azerbaijan, and Southern Georgia. However
they cannot maintain the existing population in Armenia. The Armenian
population has dramatically decreased. As a matter of fact that
Armenia does not need any more territory, but human power and good
friends. An aggressive and irredentist Armenia cannot survive in the
Caucasus. Armenia need time to cure its diseases inherited from the
Soviet period. Armenia needs Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan to solve
its problems and to integrate its political and economic structures.
The current Turkish Government is ready to normalize its relations
with Armenia. However if Armenian threatens Turks and demands more
territories, no Turkish government could take any step in
normalization. In fact Turkey does not need Armenian economy or
political support, because Armenian economy is a tiny one and less
than an ordinary Turkish city's size. Turkey can solve its
transportation problems with Central Asia and Caucasus over the
Russia, Georgia and Iran routes. However Armenia needs Turkey to
survive.'