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ANKARA: Ankara's eyes on upcoming elections in neighboring countries

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  • ANKARA: Ankara's eyes on upcoming elections in neighboring countries

    Today's Zaman, Turkey
    Jan 4 2008


    Ankara's eyes on upcoming elections in neighboring countries


    Ankara has been closely following developments regarding the upcoming
    scheduled elections to be held in Turkey's neighboring countries.

    The presidential elections in both Armenia and Greek Cyprus are
    subjects of particular interest for the Turkish capital as it doesn't
    have diplomatic relations with Yerevan and it doesn't recognize the
    Greek Cypriot government, which officially represents the entire
    island in the international arena.
    Turkey has recognized Armenia since the former Soviet republic gained
    independence in 1991 but nevertheless refuses to establish diplomatic
    ties because of Armenian efforts to secure international condemnation
    of the controversial World War I-era killings of Anatolian Armenians
    as genocide. Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were
    slaughtered in orchestrated killings during the last years of the
    Ottoman Empire. Turkey categorically rejects the claims, saying that
    300,000 Armenians along with at least as many Turks died in civil
    strife, emerging when the Armenians took up arms for independence in
    eastern Anatolia and sided with the Russian troops who were invading
    Ottoman lands.

    In 1993 Turkey also shut its border with Armenia in a show of
    solidarity with its close ally, Azerbaijan, which was at war with
    Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, dealing a heavy economic
    blow to the impoverished nation. Ankara wants Armenia to abandon its
    campaign for recognition of the killings as genocide and to make
    progress in its dispute with Baku before formal diplomatic relations
    are re-established.

    No imminent change in Yerevan's stance on the genocide issue is
    expected following the elections. Yet, a change of power in Greek
    Cyprus after the elections, which are scheduled for Feb. 17, may well
    lead to opening a new period of efforts for finding a comprehensive
    resolution to the decades-long Cyprus issue.

    Four candidates are in the running in southern part of the island,
    including the incumbent, Tassos Papadopoulos, seeking a second
    five-year term, and Demetris Christofias, the leader of Greek Cyprus'
    communist Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL). Christofias --
    who was the key backer of Papadopoulos' center-left alliance until he
    quit in the summer of 2007 -- has accused Papadopoulos of dragging
    his feet on attempts to solve the island's division.

    A fresh dialogue may start between Greek and Turkish Cypriots if
    Christofias is elected to power, analysts say. Turkish diplomatic
    sources, meanwhile, emphasize that whoever comes to power in Greek
    Cyprus, a leadership that renews itself as well as refreshing
    people's confidence will have a stronger hand for taking new
    initiatives.

    The same sources note that new activity concerning the Cyprus issue
    will be seen following the spring season. They say that significant
    progress will be difficult, yet a good opportunity for some progress
    will open up then.

    04.01.2008

    SERVET YANATMA ANKARA
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