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NEWS ANALYSIS: TURKEY, ARMENIA TEND TO MEND BILATERAL TIES
Xinhua, China
Dec 13 2013
English.news.cn 2013-12-12 23:55:13
Xinhua Weibo
ANKARA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
traveled to Armenia on Thursday in his first diplomatic visit to the
country since normalization talks between the two countries failed
in 2009, though analysts doubt the meeting will improve relations.
At the invitation of his counterpart Eduard Nalbandyan, Davutoglu
visited Yerevan to attend Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) meeting.
BSEC is a regional organization with headquarters based in the Turkish
coastal city of Istanbul. It was started in 1992 as a Turkish-led
initiative to promote economic and political cooperation in the Black
Sea region.
"There are outstanding issues between Turkey and Armenia that are
not resolved at all and this makes it difficult to move for the
normalization of ties between the two countries," Mesut Cevikalp,
foreign policy analyst based in the Turkish capital of Ankara, told
Xinhua. He added the visit may provide an opportunity for Turkey to
do a public relations campaign while forcing Armenia to reciprocate
Ankara's overtures.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 as a reaction
to Armenia's occupation of some 20 percent of its territory in
Nagorno-Karabakh region a year earlier.
A reconciliation process was started between Turkey and Armenia in
2009, when the two sides signed in Zurich protocols to normalize
diplomatic relations.
However, the ratification of the protocols was shelved after they
were unable to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
Davutoglu and Nalbandyan held an hour and a half private meeting on
the sidelines of BSEC meeting.
Speaking at the BSEC meeting, Nalbandyan ruled out any precondition for
the resumption of Turkish-Armenian ties, stressing that there should
not be any linkage between other issues and the normalization process.
Turkey said it would only open its border when Armenia withdraws from
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent territories.
Yasar Yakis, a former Turkish foreign minister, says that Turkey and
Armenia need to do everything in their power to find a solution to
the disputes while paying attention to sensitivities of third parties.
"Previously, due to Azerbaijan's opposition, their reconciliation
couldn't be realized. Now the sides should take lessons from the past.
And if they act according to these lessons, the chances for peace
will be higher," he said.
However, the situation remains thorny. Turkey partially depends on
Azerbaijan for natural gas and oil supplies. Azerbaijan is also a major
investor in Turkey and maintains a strong pro-Azeri lobby in Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that
Ankara is committed to a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying that "Karabakh is not just
Azerbaijan's problem, but also Turkey's problem."
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute was also discussed on the sidelines
of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE)
ministerial council in Kiev last week.
During the OSCE meeting in Kiev, Davutoglu met with Azeri counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the
talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Although, Davutoglu did not hold
a bilateral meeting with Armenian foreign minister in Kiev reportedly
due to his busy schedule.
The Turkish foreign minister's visit came at a time in which Turkey
has accelerated its efforts to find a path to permanent peace in the
Caucasus. He said that he hopes his visit to Yerevan will contribute
to efforts for comprehensive peace and economic stability in BSEC
region, and especially in the Caucasus.
If Armenia reads this visit positively, a new process may start between
the two countries," Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu, an expert on Armenia,
said. Although this development is unlikely as Armenia signaled it
will not be revisiting Davutoglu's stand on issues concerning Turkey.
Speaking to the Turkish press, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Tigran Balayan said Yerevan sent invitations to the ministers of all
BSEC member states and signaled that nothing more than should be read
about Davutoglu's visit. "In terms of Armenian-Turkish relations,
we have signed protocols; the only (further) move could be the
ratification and implementation of those protocols," he said.
In a sign that Armenia will not alter its position, Yerevan officials
have challenged Davutoglu on the eve of his visit.
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said over the
weekend that Davutoglu should visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial
in Yerevan instead of making provocative statements.
Turkey denies that the killings of Armenians during World War I
amounted to genocide, saying that both sides have suffered causalities
in the war and there were no deliberate policies targeting Armenians.
Genocide claims are very sensitive issue in Turkey and no government
has dared to address the claims raised by Armenia for events in 1915.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-12/12/c_132963454.htm
Xinhua, China
Dec 13 2013
English.news.cn 2013-12-12 23:55:13
Xinhua Weibo
ANKARA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
traveled to Armenia on Thursday in his first diplomatic visit to the
country since normalization talks between the two countries failed
in 2009, though analysts doubt the meeting will improve relations.
At the invitation of his counterpart Eduard Nalbandyan, Davutoglu
visited Yerevan to attend Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) meeting.
BSEC is a regional organization with headquarters based in the Turkish
coastal city of Istanbul. It was started in 1992 as a Turkish-led
initiative to promote economic and political cooperation in the Black
Sea region.
"There are outstanding issues between Turkey and Armenia that are
not resolved at all and this makes it difficult to move for the
normalization of ties between the two countries," Mesut Cevikalp,
foreign policy analyst based in the Turkish capital of Ankara, told
Xinhua. He added the visit may provide an opportunity for Turkey to
do a public relations campaign while forcing Armenia to reciprocate
Ankara's overtures.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 as a reaction
to Armenia's occupation of some 20 percent of its territory in
Nagorno-Karabakh region a year earlier.
A reconciliation process was started between Turkey and Armenia in
2009, when the two sides signed in Zurich protocols to normalize
diplomatic relations.
However, the ratification of the protocols was shelved after they
were unable to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
Davutoglu and Nalbandyan held an hour and a half private meeting on
the sidelines of BSEC meeting.
Speaking at the BSEC meeting, Nalbandyan ruled out any precondition for
the resumption of Turkish-Armenian ties, stressing that there should
not be any linkage between other issues and the normalization process.
Turkey said it would only open its border when Armenia withdraws from
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent territories.
Yasar Yakis, a former Turkish foreign minister, says that Turkey and
Armenia need to do everything in their power to find a solution to
the disputes while paying attention to sensitivities of third parties.
"Previously, due to Azerbaijan's opposition, their reconciliation
couldn't be realized. Now the sides should take lessons from the past.
And if they act according to these lessons, the chances for peace
will be higher," he said.
However, the situation remains thorny. Turkey partially depends on
Azerbaijan for natural gas and oil supplies. Azerbaijan is also a major
investor in Turkey and maintains a strong pro-Azeri lobby in Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that
Ankara is committed to a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying that "Karabakh is not just
Azerbaijan's problem, but also Turkey's problem."
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute was also discussed on the sidelines
of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE)
ministerial council in Kiev last week.
During the OSCE meeting in Kiev, Davutoglu met with Azeri counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the
talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Although, Davutoglu did not hold
a bilateral meeting with Armenian foreign minister in Kiev reportedly
due to his busy schedule.
The Turkish foreign minister's visit came at a time in which Turkey
has accelerated its efforts to find a path to permanent peace in the
Caucasus. He said that he hopes his visit to Yerevan will contribute
to efforts for comprehensive peace and economic stability in BSEC
region, and especially in the Caucasus.
If Armenia reads this visit positively, a new process may start between
the two countries," Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu, an expert on Armenia,
said. Although this development is unlikely as Armenia signaled it
will not be revisiting Davutoglu's stand on issues concerning Turkey.
Speaking to the Turkish press, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Tigran Balayan said Yerevan sent invitations to the ministers of all
BSEC member states and signaled that nothing more than should be read
about Davutoglu's visit. "In terms of Armenian-Turkish relations,
we have signed protocols; the only (further) move could be the
ratification and implementation of those protocols," he said.
In a sign that Armenia will not alter its position, Yerevan officials
have challenged Davutoglu on the eve of his visit.
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said over the
weekend that Davutoglu should visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial
in Yerevan instead of making provocative statements.
Turkey denies that the killings of Armenians during World War I
amounted to genocide, saying that both sides have suffered causalities
in the war and there were no deliberate policies targeting Armenians.
Genocide claims are very sensitive issue in Turkey and no government
has dared to address the claims raised by Armenia for events in 1915.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-12/12/c_132963454.htm