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Turkey and Armenia getting closer to peace?

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  • Turkey and Armenia getting closer to peace?

    Tehran Times , Iran
    Sept 6 2009


    Turkey and Armenia getting closer to peace?
    By Salman Ansari Javid


    In a breakthrough that came about after a century of hostilities
    Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols to establish diplomatic
    relations, the two countries announced Monday. In talks brokered by
    Switzerland the two countries' foreign ministries said that they would
    begin talks aimed at producing a formal agreement.


    The protocols said the border, which has been closed for more than 15
    years, would be opened within two months of the ratification of each
    country's Parliament. The ratification process is expected to be
    completed within six weeks.

    The protocols also call for the formation of an international history
    commission to study the Armenian genocide, the central dispute between
    the two nations that started at the end of the Ottoman Empire. Armenia
    claims that from 1915 to 1918 more than one million Armenians were
    massacred by the Ottoman Turk government. There is little dispute
    among historians about the genocide. However, Ankara differs over the
    number of Armenians killed in the conflict that Turkey defines as
    civil war.

    France has already classified this incident genocide, and it is
    presently under debate in the U.S. Congress. The Islamic Republic has
    chosen to stay neutral on the issue.

    The two countries have never had diplomatic relations, and their
    border has been closed since 1993, when Armenia and Azerbaijan went to
    war over the enclave of Nagomo-Karabakh. Turkey supported Azerbaijan
    during the dispute.

    Nagomo-Karabakh is mainly populated by ethnic Armenians. The enclave
    broke away from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, sparking a 1992-94 war
    between Armenian-backed separatists and the Azeri army.

    Over 35,000 people were killed in the civil war and over one million
    people were displaced. A ceasefire was agreed in 1994 but the
    territory remains under Armenian control.

    There are still minor skirmishes at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border
    where two formidable forces face each other. Armenia called in the
    Russian forces who face Turkey, a NATO country.

    Turkey's President Abdullah Gul's `Football Diplomacy' in September
    2008, created hopes for a friendship when he became the first modern
    Turkish leader to visit Armenia, for a football World Cup qualifier
    (which Armenia lost). The return match is scheduled in Istanbul and
    President Serge Sargsyan of Armenia is invited to attend.

    At the same time, the Swiss mediated talks which began last year
    yielded results when Armenia agreed to normalize border and trade ties
    before the genocide and other contentious issues could be discussed.

    Olli Rehn, the European enlargement commissioner, who oversees
    Turkey's EU membership application, welcomed the deal as a step
    forward.

    Turkey is under pressure from EU members to normalize its relations
    with Armenia and ease laws on its minority Kurd population to allow
    for free expression of political beliefs and stop suppression of
    Kurdish culture.

    Last week, Turkey signaled the opening of new talks with its Kurdish
    minority, a conflict that has killed over 40,000 people.

    On the other hand open borders can only help Armenia's battered
    economy. First of all Armenian industries' will have access to some 70
    million Turkish consumers and secondly its role as a transit country
    will be greatly expanded.

    The regional countries have a lot to benefit too from a peaceful
    neighborhood
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