Tweet
TURKEY'S CREDIBILITY AT STAKE
Frank Engel MEP
New Europe
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/99126.php
Fe b 14 2010
On 9 February, the Armenian President Mr Serzh Sargsyan made a
remarkable appeal to the President of the Republic of Turkey Mr
Abdullah Gul urging him to conclude rapprochement process between
the two countries. This strong and clear sign of the Armenian will
to continue the process is the last one in this historic development.
Indeed, 10 October 2009 has been a historic day for Turkey and Armenia
that marked the beginning of the normalisation process between the two
countries. Seventeen years after closing the border, Turkey and Armenia
have made a first step towards a rapprochement which all the region
of South Caucasus would benefit from. The signature of the protocols
and the following negotiations for their ratification represent a
historic turning point that will deeply affect the future diplomatic
and strategic balances of the whole region. There is no doubt that the
success of the ongoing rapprochement will engender positive effects
increasing peace and stability in the entire South Caucasus.
In spite of the first positive signals, it seems that the normalisation
process is being hampered by a lack of political commitment and
a clear willingness to distort the protocols' core principles. It
is time for regional actors and for the international community to
contribute constructively to the ongoing negotiations.
Turkey and Armenia need to continue the ratification of the signed
protocols without setting preconditions, otherwise the window of
opportunity to settle this issue diplomatically might soon be lost for
many years. At the same time, the Armenian government and the Armenian
Diaspora around the world should resist the Turkish government's new
attempt to link the ratification of the protocols to the international
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
The support shown by the US State Department to the Armenian
Constitutional Court's ruling on the Armenia-Turkey protocols,
qualifying it as a positive step in the ratification process,
should inspire other decision makers on the international scene
to support steps ahead and push for a prompt ratification of the
agreements. In this regard, we should expect the European Union, as
a now better-equipped international actor and advocate for effective
multilateralism, to have an active role in the process. Thanks to its
strong link with the parties involved and to its growing influence
in the promotion of an effective multilateral system, the EU appears
to be the best-positioned honest-broker and guarantor for the ongoing
process. The European Union has the possibility of playing a key role
in this process showing once more its ability to contribute to conflict
resolutions in the international scenario taking a more proactive
approach and boosting the rapprochement between the two parties. I
hope that all EU Institutions will intervene with all their possible
instruments, including a high-level visit to the region, in order
to urge both sides to ratify the protocols without preconditions and
within a reasonable timeframe, which should not exceed two months.
I firmly believe that by participating in a stronger manner in the
process, the European Union can seize a great opportunity to score
one more success in conflict settlement and the stabilisation of
the region. The winner of all this will be all parties who seek a
tight and profitable cooperation in the region. Let us not forget
that this is the first attempt to find a diplomatic solution for the
longest-standing dispute in the South Caucasus. We are so close.
Nothing should impede this process now. We should hope that all parties
involved will continue the historic endeavour to re-establish ties
between Turkey and Armenia. Populism is certainly not the right tool
to use when making history.
Frank Engel is a Member of the European Parliament from Luxembourg
and a member of the European People's Party Group
Frank Engel MEP
New Europe
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/99126.php
Fe b 14 2010
On 9 February, the Armenian President Mr Serzh Sargsyan made a
remarkable appeal to the President of the Republic of Turkey Mr
Abdullah Gul urging him to conclude rapprochement process between
the two countries. This strong and clear sign of the Armenian will
to continue the process is the last one in this historic development.
Indeed, 10 October 2009 has been a historic day for Turkey and Armenia
that marked the beginning of the normalisation process between the two
countries. Seventeen years after closing the border, Turkey and Armenia
have made a first step towards a rapprochement which all the region
of South Caucasus would benefit from. The signature of the protocols
and the following negotiations for their ratification represent a
historic turning point that will deeply affect the future diplomatic
and strategic balances of the whole region. There is no doubt that the
success of the ongoing rapprochement will engender positive effects
increasing peace and stability in the entire South Caucasus.
In spite of the first positive signals, it seems that the normalisation
process is being hampered by a lack of political commitment and
a clear willingness to distort the protocols' core principles. It
is time for regional actors and for the international community to
contribute constructively to the ongoing negotiations.
Turkey and Armenia need to continue the ratification of the signed
protocols without setting preconditions, otherwise the window of
opportunity to settle this issue diplomatically might soon be lost for
many years. At the same time, the Armenian government and the Armenian
Diaspora around the world should resist the Turkish government's new
attempt to link the ratification of the protocols to the international
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
The support shown by the US State Department to the Armenian
Constitutional Court's ruling on the Armenia-Turkey protocols,
qualifying it as a positive step in the ratification process,
should inspire other decision makers on the international scene
to support steps ahead and push for a prompt ratification of the
agreements. In this regard, we should expect the European Union, as
a now better-equipped international actor and advocate for effective
multilateralism, to have an active role in the process. Thanks to its
strong link with the parties involved and to its growing influence
in the promotion of an effective multilateral system, the EU appears
to be the best-positioned honest-broker and guarantor for the ongoing
process. The European Union has the possibility of playing a key role
in this process showing once more its ability to contribute to conflict
resolutions in the international scenario taking a more proactive
approach and boosting the rapprochement between the two parties. I
hope that all EU Institutions will intervene with all their possible
instruments, including a high-level visit to the region, in order
to urge both sides to ratify the protocols without preconditions and
within a reasonable timeframe, which should not exceed two months.
I firmly believe that by participating in a stronger manner in the
process, the European Union can seize a great opportunity to score
one more success in conflict settlement and the stabilisation of
the region. The winner of all this will be all parties who seek a
tight and profitable cooperation in the region. Let us not forget
that this is the first attempt to find a diplomatic solution for the
longest-standing dispute in the South Caucasus. We are so close.
Nothing should impede this process now. We should hope that all parties
involved will continue the historic endeavour to re-establish ties
between Turkey and Armenia. Populism is certainly not the right tool
to use when making history.
Frank Engel is a Member of the European Parliament from Luxembourg
and a member of the European People's Party Group