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CHP READY TO NEGOTIATE WITH ARMENIA WITHOUT ANY PRECONDITIONS
Hurriyet
June 21 2011
Turkey
The CHP leader said his party was closely following the unrest
in Syria.
Turkey's ruling and main opposition parties are ready to normalize
relations with Armenia and open the border, but the two are on
conflicting sides of the debate over preconditions for negotiations.
"We are ready to negotiate with Armenians without preconditions,"
Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party, or CHP,
told a group Turkish, Armenian and U.S. journalists late Monday. The
statement in response to a question from a U.S. journalist who said the
CHP's policy regarding ties with Armenia was not different from that
of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, as both parties
were putting Armenia's withdrawal from disputed Nagorno-Karabakh as
a condition.
"The difference between us and the AKP is that we see a possible
withdrawal as a gesture, not a condition," said Osman Koruturk,
deputy leader of the CHP and former ambassador. Kılıcdaroglu added:
"No one can say that I agreed with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on this issue."
Meanwhile, speaking to a group of Turkish and Armenian journalists
in a separate program, State Minister and Chief EU Negotiator Egeman
BagıÅ~_ said Turkey and Armenia had the chance to work together in
order to prevent people, nations and countries from suffering more
in the future. "The closed Turkey-Armenia border can be opened the
day after Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on Nagorno Karabakh," he said.
Bagis said Turkey wants zero problems with its neighbors and wants
its neighbors to have zero problems with their neighbors, too.
"We want a permanent solution between Armenia and Azerbaijan," said
Bagis, adding that if they reached a solution, many opportunities would
arise in the region and it would be to the interest of all countries.
Asked when the border between Turkey and Armenia could be opened,
Bagis said that he thought it would be opened one day after Armenia
and Azerbaijan shook hands.
More neighbors, more problems
Main opposition leader Kılıcdaroglu also hit out at the government's
"zero problems with neighbors" policy, overtly talking about
multi-problems with neighbors with the developments now unfolding
in Syria.
"They set out with the slogan of zero problems with our neighbors.
There is no situation of zero problems with any of our neighbors,"
said Kılıcdaroglu late Monday.
"We have multiple problems with our neighbors. Now no neighbor is left
without any problem. Syria was the one we had the least problems and
now you see the situation," said Kılıcdaroglu.
He listed the areas of conflicts with Turkey's neighbors. "We were
supposed to be a so-called mediator for a settlement to Iran's
nuclear dispute. Brazil was there and we were left alone," said the
party leader.
"The problems with Iraq continue as it was before. The relations with
the European Union were good in the first term of the AKP government
but in the second term, they were entirely suspended. We couldn't
overcome any problem. As the CHP we are placing importance on EU ties.
We believe determined efforts need to be exerted for full membership."
Kılıcdaroglu confessed that the CHP could not make a radical
criticism of the AKP's foreign policy during the election campaign.
"The reason for this, however, foreign policy is directly the problem
of ordinary people but we criticize if any questions are asked to me
about foreign policy during newspaper interviews and TV programs,"
he said.
'Media under pressure'
The CHP leader hinted at serious zigzags in the AKP's foreign policy.
"For example, (the prime minister) first said what business NATO has
in Libya and the next day we sent war ships to NATO. The problem is
this. The Turkish media is under pressure," argued Kılıcdaroglu.
"AKP cannot be criticized by the media. If it is criticized, they are
either shut down or jailed. The AKP introduces this as progressive
democracy."
Asked if the CHP comes to power, it would direct toward the EU or
make a synthesis of the East and the West, the CHP leader said:
"We are placing importance to our relations with the EU but we
cannot ignore Russia, China and India. The balances in the world
are changing. There is a need for principled and healthy policy in
compliance with changing balances."
Syria unrest
The CHP leader said his party was closely following the unrest
in Syria.
"But we are receiving contradictory information from the opposition
and pro-government people. We believe that democracy and freedom
should come to the Middle East, not through outside pressure but the
countries' internal dynamics," said Kılıcdaroglu.
"The media and intellectuals in those countries should be supported...
For the emergence of such pressure, the United Nations should be
involved more than NATO."
Libya strife
The CHP leader also criticized the transfer of 54 billion dollar fund
to the use of the opposition.
"I would really like to learn the answer of this question. 54 billion
dollars money were put in the European banks much before Qaddafi was
there as a dictator in those days. Why then this money was accepted
to the European banks?" he asked.
"And now Libya has been divided into two. I wonder if dividing this
country into two through armed interference from outside will bring
democracy and freedom to this country."
From: Baghdasarian
Hurriyet
June 21 2011
Turkey
The CHP leader said his party was closely following the unrest
in Syria.
Turkey's ruling and main opposition parties are ready to normalize
relations with Armenia and open the border, but the two are on
conflicting sides of the debate over preconditions for negotiations.
"We are ready to negotiate with Armenians without preconditions,"
Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party, or CHP,
told a group Turkish, Armenian and U.S. journalists late Monday. The
statement in response to a question from a U.S. journalist who said the
CHP's policy regarding ties with Armenia was not different from that
of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, as both parties
were putting Armenia's withdrawal from disputed Nagorno-Karabakh as
a condition.
"The difference between us and the AKP is that we see a possible
withdrawal as a gesture, not a condition," said Osman Koruturk,
deputy leader of the CHP and former ambassador. Kılıcdaroglu added:
"No one can say that I agreed with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on this issue."
Meanwhile, speaking to a group of Turkish and Armenian journalists
in a separate program, State Minister and Chief EU Negotiator Egeman
BagıÅ~_ said Turkey and Armenia had the chance to work together in
order to prevent people, nations and countries from suffering more
in the future. "The closed Turkey-Armenia border can be opened the
day after Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on Nagorno Karabakh," he said.
Bagis said Turkey wants zero problems with its neighbors and wants
its neighbors to have zero problems with their neighbors, too.
"We want a permanent solution between Armenia and Azerbaijan," said
Bagis, adding that if they reached a solution, many opportunities would
arise in the region and it would be to the interest of all countries.
Asked when the border between Turkey and Armenia could be opened,
Bagis said that he thought it would be opened one day after Armenia
and Azerbaijan shook hands.
More neighbors, more problems
Main opposition leader Kılıcdaroglu also hit out at the government's
"zero problems with neighbors" policy, overtly talking about
multi-problems with neighbors with the developments now unfolding
in Syria.
"They set out with the slogan of zero problems with our neighbors.
There is no situation of zero problems with any of our neighbors,"
said Kılıcdaroglu late Monday.
"We have multiple problems with our neighbors. Now no neighbor is left
without any problem. Syria was the one we had the least problems and
now you see the situation," said Kılıcdaroglu.
He listed the areas of conflicts with Turkey's neighbors. "We were
supposed to be a so-called mediator for a settlement to Iran's
nuclear dispute. Brazil was there and we were left alone," said the
party leader.
"The problems with Iraq continue as it was before. The relations with
the European Union were good in the first term of the AKP government
but in the second term, they were entirely suspended. We couldn't
overcome any problem. As the CHP we are placing importance on EU ties.
We believe determined efforts need to be exerted for full membership."
Kılıcdaroglu confessed that the CHP could not make a radical
criticism of the AKP's foreign policy during the election campaign.
"The reason for this, however, foreign policy is directly the problem
of ordinary people but we criticize if any questions are asked to me
about foreign policy during newspaper interviews and TV programs,"
he said.
'Media under pressure'
The CHP leader hinted at serious zigzags in the AKP's foreign policy.
"For example, (the prime minister) first said what business NATO has
in Libya and the next day we sent war ships to NATO. The problem is
this. The Turkish media is under pressure," argued Kılıcdaroglu.
"AKP cannot be criticized by the media. If it is criticized, they are
either shut down or jailed. The AKP introduces this as progressive
democracy."
Asked if the CHP comes to power, it would direct toward the EU or
make a synthesis of the East and the West, the CHP leader said:
"We are placing importance to our relations with the EU but we
cannot ignore Russia, China and India. The balances in the world
are changing. There is a need for principled and healthy policy in
compliance with changing balances."
Syria unrest
The CHP leader said his party was closely following the unrest
in Syria.
"But we are receiving contradictory information from the opposition
and pro-government people. We believe that democracy and freedom
should come to the Middle East, not through outside pressure but the
countries' internal dynamics," said Kılıcdaroglu.
"The media and intellectuals in those countries should be supported...
For the emergence of such pressure, the United Nations should be
involved more than NATO."
Libya strife
The CHP leader also criticized the transfer of 54 billion dollar fund
to the use of the opposition.
"I would really like to learn the answer of this question. 54 billion
dollars money were put in the European banks much before Qaddafi was
there as a dictator in those days. Why then this money was accepted
to the European banks?" he asked.
"And now Libya has been divided into two. I wonder if dividing this
country into two through armed interference from outside will bring
democracy and freedom to this country."
From: Baghdasarian