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'IF WE CAN SOLVE KARABAKH, TURKEY CAN OPEN BORDER' - VARTAN OSKANIAN
tert.am
10.05.12
Vartan Oskanian, former Foreign Minister of Armenia (1998-2008),
founder of the Civilitas Foundation and member of the Prosperous
Armenia Party, has said that if the problem over the Nagorno-Karabakh
could be solved by Armenia and Turkey, then Turkey could open its
border with Armenia.
"The Armenian government wants to normalize ties with Turkey. The
problem is how to do it. This whole protocol process made clear to
everyone that there are obstacles in the way. The question is how
both sides could overcome these obstacles. The major obstacle is
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As long as that issue is not being
addressed or somehow resolved I really don't see how we can move
forward on Turkey-Armenia ties," he said to a group of reporters on
Monday from Turkey who came to Armenia with the sponsorship of the
Hrant Dink Foundation and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Turkey closed its borders with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity
with Azerbaijan after Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of
Azerbaijan in 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The issue
of Armenia's withdrawal from the area surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh
is of importance for Ankara, which has frequently signaled that this
step would ease the way for opening the border with Armenia.
However, the Zurich protocols, signed between Turkey and Armenia on
Oct. 10, 2009, do not make any reference to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, and say that both countries should have the protocols
ratified by their parliaments within a "reasonable time frame."
Declaring the protocols "dead," Oskanian said that the Turkish policy
has been clear that there will not be open borders between Turkey
and Armenia before the conflict is resolved.
"Overcoming that obstacle depends not only on Armenia but also on
Azerbaijan. So, our bilateral ties are held hostage to Turkey's
relations with Azerbaijan," he said. "For me it is very clear that
the border will not be opened unless the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
is resolved."
Oskanian added that he was critical of the Armenian government's
position in signing the protocols with Turkey, explaining, "The current
[Armenian] administration did not want to listen. They said no,
there is a possibility that Turkey delinked our bilateral relations
over the issue of Karabakh. But eventually they themselves became
convinced eventually that is not the case."
He added that the most Armenians understand that it is a priority for
Turkey that Azerbaijani interests be addressed and met before Turkey
opens its border with Armenia. Asked if there is hope for a solution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Oskanian said that it is difficult.
"I am not hopeless but it will not be easy. The Karabakh conflict has
already lasted 20 years and it is not going to be resolved unless
Turkey changes its position -- which I very much doubt will happen
since they haven't done it in 20 years," he said.
"Negotiations are continuing but the process as far as I am concerned
is in a deadlock. After these [Armenian] parliamentary elections,
I don't know if the process will be resuscitated."
On Sunday's elections in Armenia, the incumbent Serzh Sargsyan's
Republican Party won about 68 seats, a majority in the 131-seat
parliament, according to results released on Monday.
The Prosperous Armenia Party came out of the elections as the second
most popular party. Oskanian is expected to run for presidential
elections if the ruling Republican Party does not invite the Prosperous
Armenia Party to form a coalition government. The Prosperous Armenia
party, led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, was the Republican
Party's coalition partner in the previous parliament but Sargsyan's
party will no longer need its backing to pass most laws, which require
a majority.
"Prosperous Armenia doubled its number of members in Parliament,
but still fell short of what we could have achieved had there been
a cleaner election. Had there not been certain violations, I think
we would have gotten better results. It is too early to assess the
situation," he said, ruling out the possibility that he will run
in the presidential elections. International monitors gave a mixed
assessment of the elections, however, praising Armenia for holding
a peaceful election but criticizing violations of campaign law and
interference by parties.
The results in the former Soviet republic, where the Republican Party
was just short of a majority in the previous parliament, give Sargsyan
a strong platform to seek a second presidential term next year.
Asked by the Turkish reporters if Turkey's proposal for the
establishment of a historical commission to study the 1915 events
was acceptable for the Armenians, Oskanian said:
"That would mean putting the whole genocide issue up for study again,
something that has been done and conclusions have been reached by
international scholars and by Armenians that the 1915 events are
genocide. The Armenian side will never accept such a commission. So the
demand that is put by Turkish Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan
is not realistic as far as the Armenian side is concerned. We would
suggest that Turkey opens the border without conditions, we normalize
our ties and then, at the governmental level, we can address the issues
that are raised by one side or the other. But to create a specific
commission for genocide will not be acceptable by the Armenian side,
in my view, under any administration."
tert.am
10.05.12
Vartan Oskanian, former Foreign Minister of Armenia (1998-2008),
founder of the Civilitas Foundation and member of the Prosperous
Armenia Party, has said that if the problem over the Nagorno-Karabakh
could be solved by Armenia and Turkey, then Turkey could open its
border with Armenia.
"The Armenian government wants to normalize ties with Turkey. The
problem is how to do it. This whole protocol process made clear to
everyone that there are obstacles in the way. The question is how
both sides could overcome these obstacles. The major obstacle is
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As long as that issue is not being
addressed or somehow resolved I really don't see how we can move
forward on Turkey-Armenia ties," he said to a group of reporters on
Monday from Turkey who came to Armenia with the sponsorship of the
Hrant Dink Foundation and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Turkey closed its borders with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity
with Azerbaijan after Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of
Azerbaijan in 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The issue
of Armenia's withdrawal from the area surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh
is of importance for Ankara, which has frequently signaled that this
step would ease the way for opening the border with Armenia.
However, the Zurich protocols, signed between Turkey and Armenia on
Oct. 10, 2009, do not make any reference to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, and say that both countries should have the protocols
ratified by their parliaments within a "reasonable time frame."
Declaring the protocols "dead," Oskanian said that the Turkish policy
has been clear that there will not be open borders between Turkey
and Armenia before the conflict is resolved.
"Overcoming that obstacle depends not only on Armenia but also on
Azerbaijan. So, our bilateral ties are held hostage to Turkey's
relations with Azerbaijan," he said. "For me it is very clear that
the border will not be opened unless the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
is resolved."
Oskanian added that he was critical of the Armenian government's
position in signing the protocols with Turkey, explaining, "The current
[Armenian] administration did not want to listen. They said no,
there is a possibility that Turkey delinked our bilateral relations
over the issue of Karabakh. But eventually they themselves became
convinced eventually that is not the case."
He added that the most Armenians understand that it is a priority for
Turkey that Azerbaijani interests be addressed and met before Turkey
opens its border with Armenia. Asked if there is hope for a solution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Oskanian said that it is difficult.
"I am not hopeless but it will not be easy. The Karabakh conflict has
already lasted 20 years and it is not going to be resolved unless
Turkey changes its position -- which I very much doubt will happen
since they haven't done it in 20 years," he said.
"Negotiations are continuing but the process as far as I am concerned
is in a deadlock. After these [Armenian] parliamentary elections,
I don't know if the process will be resuscitated."
On Sunday's elections in Armenia, the incumbent Serzh Sargsyan's
Republican Party won about 68 seats, a majority in the 131-seat
parliament, according to results released on Monday.
The Prosperous Armenia Party came out of the elections as the second
most popular party. Oskanian is expected to run for presidential
elections if the ruling Republican Party does not invite the Prosperous
Armenia Party to form a coalition government. The Prosperous Armenia
party, led by wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, was the Republican
Party's coalition partner in the previous parliament but Sargsyan's
party will no longer need its backing to pass most laws, which require
a majority.
"Prosperous Armenia doubled its number of members in Parliament,
but still fell short of what we could have achieved had there been
a cleaner election. Had there not been certain violations, I think
we would have gotten better results. It is too early to assess the
situation," he said, ruling out the possibility that he will run
in the presidential elections. International monitors gave a mixed
assessment of the elections, however, praising Armenia for holding
a peaceful election but criticizing violations of campaign law and
interference by parties.
The results in the former Soviet republic, where the Republican Party
was just short of a majority in the previous parliament, give Sargsyan
a strong platform to seek a second presidential term next year.
Asked by the Turkish reporters if Turkey's proposal for the
establishment of a historical commission to study the 1915 events
was acceptable for the Armenians, Oskanian said:
"That would mean putting the whole genocide issue up for study again,
something that has been done and conclusions have been reached by
international scholars and by Armenians that the 1915 events are
genocide. The Armenian side will never accept such a commission. So the
demand that is put by Turkish Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan
is not realistic as far as the Armenian side is concerned. We would
suggest that Turkey opens the border without conditions, we normalize
our ties and then, at the governmental level, we can address the issues
that are raised by one side or the other. But to create a specific
commission for genocide will not be acceptable by the Armenian side,
in my view, under any administration."