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SPECULATIONS MOUNT ABOUT A POSSIBLE ARMENIA-TURKEY DEAL ANONYMOUS SOURCES CITED ON TIMING, SUBSTANCE ARMENIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER TO ATTEND ISTANBUL CONFERENCE
by Emil Sanamyan
www.reporter.am/go/article/2009-04-03-sp eculations-mount-about-a-possible-armenia-turkey-d eal
Friday April 03, 2009
Washington, - With President Barack Obama on his way to Turkey just
weeks before Armenian Genocide commemoration day, and unprecedented
high-level meetings between Armenia and Turkey, expectations for
progress in relations between Armenia and Turkey are once again
being fueled.
Armenian officials contacted by the Armenian Reporter would not comment
on whether an agreement with Turkey was imminent, but did confirm that
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will attend the Istanbul conference,
which Mr. Obama will address.
Writing on April 1, the Wall Street Journal cited anonymous diplomatic
sources as claiming that Armenia and Turkey "could soon announce a
deal aimed at reopening their border and restoring relations" and that
"the timing of the deal is being choreographed" with Mr. Obama's trip,
the paper's Brussels and Istanbul correspondents reported.
One of the Journal correspondents contacted by the Reporter would
not reveal if any of the officials he spoke with were from Armenia.
The outlines of the deal, as described by these anonymous sources would
include "opening and fixing borders, restoring diplomatic relations
and setting up commissions to look at disputes, including one on the
tense history between the two nations."
The latter issue - of a commission - has been one of the more
controversial matters. In 2005, the Turkish government first proposed
establishing a "commission of historians" allegedly to study the
genocide. Seeing it as a ploy against genocide affirmation, President
Robert Kocharian made a counteroffer suggesting a bilateral commission
to look into all issues.
President Serge Sargsian has taken a similar position.
Another sticking point has been Turkey's preconditions related to
the Karabakh conflict, but those appear to have been set aside for
the moment.
Long-held suspicions and mounting speculations
With Turkish officials saying that a Congressional resolution about
the Armenian Genocide would undermine progress in the normalization of
relations between Turkey and Armenia, many longtime observers wonder
whether the speculations are just intended to provide an excuse for
President Obama to go back on his pledge to recognize the Armenian
Genocide.
Already, when asked about the issue, spokespersons for the White House
have responded repeatedly that the administration's "focus is on how,
moving forward, the United States can help Armenia and Turkey work
together to come to terms with the past."
Turkish media has speculated for months about an imminent breakthrough
in relations between Armenia and Turkey, and Western media too
have started speculating on the topic. Much of the fodder for such
speculation has been provided by officials involved.
Both Armenian and Turkish officials have said a breakthrough is close.
Foreign Minister Nalbandian said last November in Istanbul that
Armenia-Turkey normalization "could be done in a quick way, because
I do not see any major obstacles."
According to Turkey's Sabah newspaper, senior members of the Turkish
parliament for the ruling party, visiting Washington last month,
told their congressional counterparts not to move on the Armenian
Genocide resolution, as an Armenia-Turkey deal was imminent.
Other officials told the Armenian Reporter they believe some kind
of a deal is likely, although one key Armenian official discounted
newspaper reports.
End-game, kind of
Ten months ago, when the Armenian Reporter asked experts if they
expected such a breakthrough, most were not optimistic.
It was in the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal on July 9,
2008, that President Sargsian first sought to convey his determination
to normalize relations with Turkey. The initiative since then seems
to have been boosted by the aftermath of the war in Georgia - which
drew Russia and Turkey closer together - and the election of Barack
Obama as U.S. president.
President Abdullah Gul made his unprecedented half-day visit to
Yerevan in September.
And two months ago President Sargsian and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan met at Davos, Switzerland, shortly before Mr. Erdogan's stormy
departure from a panel on which he appeared with the Israeli president.
More talks have taken place between the two countries' foreign
ministers and other officials.
Expectations for a breakthrough had been raised before, perhaps
artificially so. But the talks do appear to be reaching a kind of
an end-game.
Turkish leaders' overriding concern seems to be to get President Obama
to continue the previous administrations' policies on the Armenian
Genocide issue. The first crucial test of that will be President
Obama's comments on the subject in Turkey and in the anticipated
April 24 commemorative statement.
>From the Turkish perspective, success in getting President Obama to
sidestep the issue should be a good enough catalyst for a positive
change in Turkey's policy toward Armenia. But this is true only if,
as a senior Turkish official told this newspaper, it is in fact their
intention "to have best relations with Armenia," and "good relations"
with Armenians in the diaspora.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
by Emil Sanamyan
www.reporter.am/go/article/2009-04-03-sp eculations-mount-about-a-possible-armenia-turkey-d eal
Friday April 03, 2009
Washington, - With President Barack Obama on his way to Turkey just
weeks before Armenian Genocide commemoration day, and unprecedented
high-level meetings between Armenia and Turkey, expectations for
progress in relations between Armenia and Turkey are once again
being fueled.
Armenian officials contacted by the Armenian Reporter would not comment
on whether an agreement with Turkey was imminent, but did confirm that
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will attend the Istanbul conference,
which Mr. Obama will address.
Writing on April 1, the Wall Street Journal cited anonymous diplomatic
sources as claiming that Armenia and Turkey "could soon announce a
deal aimed at reopening their border and restoring relations" and that
"the timing of the deal is being choreographed" with Mr. Obama's trip,
the paper's Brussels and Istanbul correspondents reported.
One of the Journal correspondents contacted by the Reporter would
not reveal if any of the officials he spoke with were from Armenia.
The outlines of the deal, as described by these anonymous sources would
include "opening and fixing borders, restoring diplomatic relations
and setting up commissions to look at disputes, including one on the
tense history between the two nations."
The latter issue - of a commission - has been one of the more
controversial matters. In 2005, the Turkish government first proposed
establishing a "commission of historians" allegedly to study the
genocide. Seeing it as a ploy against genocide affirmation, President
Robert Kocharian made a counteroffer suggesting a bilateral commission
to look into all issues.
President Serge Sargsian has taken a similar position.
Another sticking point has been Turkey's preconditions related to
the Karabakh conflict, but those appear to have been set aside for
the moment.
Long-held suspicions and mounting speculations
With Turkish officials saying that a Congressional resolution about
the Armenian Genocide would undermine progress in the normalization of
relations between Turkey and Armenia, many longtime observers wonder
whether the speculations are just intended to provide an excuse for
President Obama to go back on his pledge to recognize the Armenian
Genocide.
Already, when asked about the issue, spokespersons for the White House
have responded repeatedly that the administration's "focus is on how,
moving forward, the United States can help Armenia and Turkey work
together to come to terms with the past."
Turkish media has speculated for months about an imminent breakthrough
in relations between Armenia and Turkey, and Western media too
have started speculating on the topic. Much of the fodder for such
speculation has been provided by officials involved.
Both Armenian and Turkish officials have said a breakthrough is close.
Foreign Minister Nalbandian said last November in Istanbul that
Armenia-Turkey normalization "could be done in a quick way, because
I do not see any major obstacles."
According to Turkey's Sabah newspaper, senior members of the Turkish
parliament for the ruling party, visiting Washington last month,
told their congressional counterparts not to move on the Armenian
Genocide resolution, as an Armenia-Turkey deal was imminent.
Other officials told the Armenian Reporter they believe some kind
of a deal is likely, although one key Armenian official discounted
newspaper reports.
End-game, kind of
Ten months ago, when the Armenian Reporter asked experts if they
expected such a breakthrough, most were not optimistic.
It was in the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal on July 9,
2008, that President Sargsian first sought to convey his determination
to normalize relations with Turkey. The initiative since then seems
to have been boosted by the aftermath of the war in Georgia - which
drew Russia and Turkey closer together - and the election of Barack
Obama as U.S. president.
President Abdullah Gul made his unprecedented half-day visit to
Yerevan in September.
And two months ago President Sargsian and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan met at Davos, Switzerland, shortly before Mr. Erdogan's stormy
departure from a panel on which he appeared with the Israeli president.
More talks have taken place between the two countries' foreign
ministers and other officials.
Expectations for a breakthrough had been raised before, perhaps
artificially so. But the talks do appear to be reaching a kind of
an end-game.
Turkish leaders' overriding concern seems to be to get President Obama
to continue the previous administrations' policies on the Armenian
Genocide issue. The first crucial test of that will be President
Obama's comments on the subject in Turkey and in the anticipated
April 24 commemorative statement.
>From the Turkish perspective, success in getting President Obama to
sidestep the issue should be a good enough catalyst for a positive
change in Turkey's policy toward Armenia. But this is true only if,
as a senior Turkish official told this newspaper, it is in fact their
intention "to have best relations with Armenia," and "good relations"
with Armenians in the diaspora.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress