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ARMENIAN BREAKTHROUGH WILL HELP TURKEY'S EU BID, BAGIS SAYS
Today's Zaman
Sept 2 2009
Turkey
News Diplomacy
Commenting on the announcement that Turkey and Armenia are set to
establish diplomatic ties, Egemen Bagis, Turkey's state minister
and chief EU negotiator, has said the process of rapprochement will
positively impact Turkey's ties with Europe.
On the plane en route to Austria on Tuesday, Bagis told Today's Zaman
that he expects the opening with Armenia to be reflected in the
upcoming progress report by the European Union. "The zero-problem
policy with our neighbors has resulted in this new opening, and it
reflects Turkey's commitment to compromise, which is very much at
the core of the EU," he said.
He cautioned, however, that Turkey will maintain a balanced approach
concerning the Caucasus and pay heed to the concerns of Azerbaijan. "We
want a total and comprehensive approach in the region, and the issue of
Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be resolved as well," he underlined. As for
the Armenian diaspora, which was predominantly against rapprochement,
Bagis said, "We are actually helping Armenian expatriates reduce the
burden of supporting the Armenian national economy." He lamented,
however, the diaspora's unwillingness to acknowledge this positive
development but instead respond to issues emotionally and dwelling
in the past.
He reiterated that the party Turkey addresses is not the diaspora but
the current Armenian government. He called upon the diaspora to stop
exploiting the nationalistic feelings of Armenians.
Bagis noted that his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
government was the first one to allow Armenian airlines to fly to
and from Turkey in 2002. "We also allow a large number of illegal
Armenian workers to work and send remittances to their families,"
he said. It is estimated that around 50,000 to 70,000 Armenians work
in Turkey illegally.
Chief negotiator Bagis also drew attention to the fact that the
Armenian economy is struggling and unemployment is soaring. "Good
relations with Turkey will help the Armenian economy," he said.
Bagis also noted that the conditions in the region have changed
dramatically. Armenia is surrounded by energy-rich Azerbaijan and
Georgia, with strong links to the US and the EU. "Turkey has also
recuperated from the worsening relations with the US during the
Bush presidency and established very close ties with the current
US administration," he stated. "Against this backdrop, it is in the
interest of Armenia to get close to Turkey," he added.
Touching on the government democratization process, Bagis said Turkey
is trying to resolve its outstanding issues on its own and dismissed
the accusation that the process as well as the opening with Armenia
is imposed by the EU or the US.
"What we are trying to do is to place the citizen, not the state,
at the center of the government," he stressed, lamenting the fact
that Turkey, for a long time, revered the state rather than not its
citizens. "EU culture is actually similar to our own culture, which
we have had for thousands of years," he said. "With the membership
process, we are in fact returning to our roots, which are a culture
of compromise stripped of extremism on either side of the spectrum."
The chief EU negotiator pointed out that public support for the
democratization process is substantial and citizens rally behind the
government. He emphasized that Kurds have not only suffered from
rigid state regimes but other groups, including minorities, have
also paid prices. "Everybody ought to accept everybody as they are,"
he stated, stressing that "total democratization is a solution to
Turkey's problems."
Bagis pointed to Parliament as the entity to solve the problems and
noted that the government alone cannot deliver on its promises. "The
opposition should be involved, and a solution should be sought with
broader public support and commitment," he underlined.
He further noted that Turkey should focus on real problems such as
the economy and unemployment and stop dwelling on symbolic discussions
devoid of any concrete substance. "We would like to deliver a bright
and promising future to our younger generations," he remarked. As
for EU reforms, the chief negotiator deflected criticism that the
government is not doing enough. "We have declared May 1 an official
holiday, established a commission for gender equality, launched a
major reform in the justice system, allocated billions of dollars
for investment in the impoverished southeastern regions, submitted a
draft law regulating the EU secretary-general in Turkey and devised
a major communications strategy to boost public support for the EU
membership process." Bagis also disclosed for the first time that
the government will soon be launching a strategy to fight corruption.
Today's Zaman
Sept 2 2009
Turkey
News Diplomacy
Commenting on the announcement that Turkey and Armenia are set to
establish diplomatic ties, Egemen Bagis, Turkey's state minister
and chief EU negotiator, has said the process of rapprochement will
positively impact Turkey's ties with Europe.
On the plane en route to Austria on Tuesday, Bagis told Today's Zaman
that he expects the opening with Armenia to be reflected in the
upcoming progress report by the European Union. "The zero-problem
policy with our neighbors has resulted in this new opening, and it
reflects Turkey's commitment to compromise, which is very much at
the core of the EU," he said.
He cautioned, however, that Turkey will maintain a balanced approach
concerning the Caucasus and pay heed to the concerns of Azerbaijan. "We
want a total and comprehensive approach in the region, and the issue of
Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be resolved as well," he underlined. As for
the Armenian diaspora, which was predominantly against rapprochement,
Bagis said, "We are actually helping Armenian expatriates reduce the
burden of supporting the Armenian national economy." He lamented,
however, the diaspora's unwillingness to acknowledge this positive
development but instead respond to issues emotionally and dwelling
in the past.
He reiterated that the party Turkey addresses is not the diaspora but
the current Armenian government. He called upon the diaspora to stop
exploiting the nationalistic feelings of Armenians.
Bagis noted that his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
government was the first one to allow Armenian airlines to fly to
and from Turkey in 2002. "We also allow a large number of illegal
Armenian workers to work and send remittances to their families,"
he said. It is estimated that around 50,000 to 70,000 Armenians work
in Turkey illegally.
Chief negotiator Bagis also drew attention to the fact that the
Armenian economy is struggling and unemployment is soaring. "Good
relations with Turkey will help the Armenian economy," he said.
Bagis also noted that the conditions in the region have changed
dramatically. Armenia is surrounded by energy-rich Azerbaijan and
Georgia, with strong links to the US and the EU. "Turkey has also
recuperated from the worsening relations with the US during the
Bush presidency and established very close ties with the current
US administration," he stated. "Against this backdrop, it is in the
interest of Armenia to get close to Turkey," he added.
Touching on the government democratization process, Bagis said Turkey
is trying to resolve its outstanding issues on its own and dismissed
the accusation that the process as well as the opening with Armenia
is imposed by the EU or the US.
"What we are trying to do is to place the citizen, not the state,
at the center of the government," he stressed, lamenting the fact
that Turkey, for a long time, revered the state rather than not its
citizens. "EU culture is actually similar to our own culture, which
we have had for thousands of years," he said. "With the membership
process, we are in fact returning to our roots, which are a culture
of compromise stripped of extremism on either side of the spectrum."
The chief EU negotiator pointed out that public support for the
democratization process is substantial and citizens rally behind the
government. He emphasized that Kurds have not only suffered from
rigid state regimes but other groups, including minorities, have
also paid prices. "Everybody ought to accept everybody as they are,"
he stated, stressing that "total democratization is a solution to
Turkey's problems."
Bagis pointed to Parliament as the entity to solve the problems and
noted that the government alone cannot deliver on its promises. "The
opposition should be involved, and a solution should be sought with
broader public support and commitment," he underlined.
He further noted that Turkey should focus on real problems such as
the economy and unemployment and stop dwelling on symbolic discussions
devoid of any concrete substance. "We would like to deliver a bright
and promising future to our younger generations," he remarked. As
for EU reforms, the chief negotiator deflected criticism that the
government is not doing enough. "We have declared May 1 an official
holiday, established a commission for gender equality, launched a
major reform in the justice system, allocated billions of dollars
for investment in the impoverished southeastern regions, submitted a
draft law regulating the EU secretary-general in Turkey and devised
a major communications strategy to boost public support for the EU
membership process." Bagis also disclosed for the first time that
the government will soon be launching a strategy to fight corruption.