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TURKEY, ARMENIA COULD NORMALIZE RELATIONS IN SECOND HALF OF 2009
Hurriyet
Feb 10 2009
Turkey
Turkey and Armenia could attain the required conditions to normalize
relations in the second half of 2009 if the ongoing dialogue process
between the two countries continues at its current pace, a report
Monday quoted the neighboring country's president as saying.
"I can say that there could be no problem for diplomatic relations
to begin between Armenia and Turkey if the atmosphere gained in the
recent contacts continues in the future," Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan told MediaMax news agency after talks between the countries
at Davos and the Munich Security Conference.
The two countries' relations would be much different and of higher
quality, Hurriyet daily quoted him as telling the Armenian news agency.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met his Armenian counterpart
Eduard Nalbandian both on the sidelines of the annual meeting of
last month's World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and at this month's
Munich conference.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan also met Sargsyan at Davos in
a bid to contribute to the normalization efforts.
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border
has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the
international community with the backing of the diaspora to admit
the so-called "genocide" claims, instead of accepting Turkey's call
to investigate the allegations, and over Armenia's invasion of 20
percent territory of Azerbaijan.
A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah
Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup
qualifying football match between the two countries on the invitation
of Sargsyan. The two countries have been holding contacts at the
ministerial level since.
THIRD PARTIES DISTRUPTIVE
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Monday any intervention by
a third party into Turkey's ongoing talks with Armenia would prove
counterproductive, when asked about a controversial U.S. resolution
awaiting voting in the Senate recognizing Armenian claims as
"genocide".
"The dialogue between our two countries aims at normalizing
all bilateral relations and we make progress to that end in each
contact. And I do not believe that the intervention of other countries
would be constructive," Babacan was quoted by the Anatolian Agency
as telling a joint press meeting with visiting Ethiopian Foreign
Minister Seyoum Mesfin in Ankara.
Babacan said talks with Armenia included the events of 1915, asking
for support to the dialogue between Turkey and Armenia.
"As we conduct such important talks, everyone should avoid moves that
would damage this process," he said.
Hurriyet
Feb 10 2009
Turkey
Turkey and Armenia could attain the required conditions to normalize
relations in the second half of 2009 if the ongoing dialogue process
between the two countries continues at its current pace, a report
Monday quoted the neighboring country's president as saying.
"I can say that there could be no problem for diplomatic relations
to begin between Armenia and Turkey if the atmosphere gained in the
recent contacts continues in the future," Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan told MediaMax news agency after talks between the countries
at Davos and the Munich Security Conference.
The two countries' relations would be much different and of higher
quality, Hurriyet daily quoted him as telling the Armenian news agency.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met his Armenian counterpart
Eduard Nalbandian both on the sidelines of the annual meeting of
last month's World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and at this month's
Munich conference.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan also met Sargsyan at Davos in
a bid to contribute to the normalization efforts.
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border
has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the
international community with the backing of the diaspora to admit
the so-called "genocide" claims, instead of accepting Turkey's call
to investigate the allegations, and over Armenia's invasion of 20
percent territory of Azerbaijan.
A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah
Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup
qualifying football match between the two countries on the invitation
of Sargsyan. The two countries have been holding contacts at the
ministerial level since.
THIRD PARTIES DISTRUPTIVE
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Monday any intervention by
a third party into Turkey's ongoing talks with Armenia would prove
counterproductive, when asked about a controversial U.S. resolution
awaiting voting in the Senate recognizing Armenian claims as
"genocide".
"The dialogue between our two countries aims at normalizing
all bilateral relations and we make progress to that end in each
contact. And I do not believe that the intervention of other countries
would be constructive," Babacan was quoted by the Anatolian Agency
as telling a joint press meeting with visiting Ethiopian Foreign
Minister Seyoum Mesfin in Ankara.
Babacan said talks with Armenia included the events of 1915, asking
for support to the dialogue between Turkey and Armenia.
"As we conduct such important talks, everyone should avoid moves that
would damage this process," he said.