Armenia, Turkey signed no paper on border opening
Armenia and Turkey have signed no documents on
restoring bilateral relations and re-opening their shared border,
but this may happen in the foreseeable future, Armenian Foreign
Minister Eduard Nalbandian said after meeting his Turkish
counterpart, Ali Babacan, in Yerevan last week.
Nalbandian said talks between the two countries` diplomats are underway. Some progress has been achieved in negotiations, but the sides have not yet reached the stage of signing any agreements. "But we hope that, indeed, we will be able to solve the existing problems between us in the near future."
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev, who was visiting Yerevan, said talks between Turkey and Armenia were an internal affair of the two countries, however, Azerbaijan is interested in the developments unfolding in line with its national interests.
"We assess the talks between Turkey and Armenia as these two countries` own affair, and our position is that we do not interfere with the internal affairs of any countries. However, taking into account the Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, we are closely watching the ongoing developments. Our stance is that restoration of the Armenia-Turkey relations should be linked strictly to the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict."
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 due to its occupation of Azerbaijani territories and its claims regarding the alleged World War I-era genocide. However, there have been signs of normalization in Ankara-Yerevan ties of late, and the two countries` officials have held several rounds of talks. Recent media reports alleging that the Turkish-Armenian border is expected to re-open soon have sparked an outcry in Azerbaijan.
Mammadguliyev and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan visited Yerevan on Thursday to attend a ministerial of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC). Azerbaijan participated at the event because the rotating presidency in the group was transferred to it from Armenia.
However, an Azerbaijani political leader has dismissed the possibility of opening the Turkey-Armenia border.
"In my opinion, Turkey will not open its border with Armenia," Isa Gambar, chairman of the opposition Musavat party, told Turkish ATV channel. "Ankara has merely conducted a test to determine `what if we opened the border with Armenia` and weighed the reactions."
According to Gambar, the developments that have taken place in recent days have helped Turkey as its government has managed to draw certain conclusions from the test it conducted.
The Musavat leader said the border opening would be acceptable only after the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict has been resolved. Moreover, for this to be possible, Armenia must relinquish its territorial and World War I-era genocide claims against Turkey.
Meanwhile, the International Crisis Group (ICG), an organization working to prevent conflicts worldwide, said Turkey should open its border with Armenia without expecting a settlement to the Upper Garabagh conflict. In a report that reviewed Ankara-Yerevan relations, it maintained that the unresolved status of the long-standing dispute should not impede the opening of the border.
"The politicized debate whether to recognize as genocide the destruction of much of the Ottoman Armenian population and the stalemated Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh should not halt momentum," the report urged.
The Brussels-based security think tank said, further, that "Turkey and Armenia are close to settling a dispute that has long roiled Caucasus politics, isolated Armenia and cast a shadow over Turkey`s European Union ambition."
Tabib Huseynov, the ICG`s representative on Azerbaijan said, while commenting on the report, that keeping the border open currently appeared more acceptable because if Armenia fails to take a constructive position on the Garabagh problem, Turkey could use the levers it will gain to influence Yerevan`s stance.
"I am talking about the possibility of increasing transit and visa fees at the border. This option is actually a more civilized one, is more comprehensible for the rest of the world and, at the same time, one that is more compliant with the interests of Turkey and Azerbaijan."
Huseynov said another recommendation of the ICG concerned the involvement of third parties in peace talks.
"In particular, the United States should not take any actions that would derail these talks. If the American administration uses the `genocide` term with regard to the historical developments, this would put a big cross on the improvements in Turkey-Armenia relations. To prevent this from happening, we recommend that the European Union countries and the U.S. refrain from such words."
Nalbandian said talks between the two countries` diplomats are underway. Some progress has been achieved in negotiations, but the sides have not yet reached the stage of signing any agreements. "But we hope that, indeed, we will be able to solve the existing problems between us in the near future."
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev, who was visiting Yerevan, said talks between Turkey and Armenia were an internal affair of the two countries, however, Azerbaijan is interested in the developments unfolding in line with its national interests.
"We assess the talks between Turkey and Armenia as these two countries` own affair, and our position is that we do not interfere with the internal affairs of any countries. However, taking into account the Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, we are closely watching the ongoing developments. Our stance is that restoration of the Armenia-Turkey relations should be linked strictly to the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict."
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 due to its occupation of Azerbaijani territories and its claims regarding the alleged World War I-era genocide. However, there have been signs of normalization in Ankara-Yerevan ties of late, and the two countries` officials have held several rounds of talks. Recent media reports alleging that the Turkish-Armenian border is expected to re-open soon have sparked an outcry in Azerbaijan.
Mammadguliyev and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan visited Yerevan on Thursday to attend a ministerial of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC). Azerbaijan participated at the event because the rotating presidency in the group was transferred to it from Armenia.
However, an Azerbaijani political leader has dismissed the possibility of opening the Turkey-Armenia border.
"In my opinion, Turkey will not open its border with Armenia," Isa Gambar, chairman of the opposition Musavat party, told Turkish ATV channel. "Ankara has merely conducted a test to determine `what if we opened the border with Armenia` and weighed the reactions."
According to Gambar, the developments that have taken place in recent days have helped Turkey as its government has managed to draw certain conclusions from the test it conducted.
The Musavat leader said the border opening would be acceptable only after the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict has been resolved. Moreover, for this to be possible, Armenia must relinquish its territorial and World War I-era genocide claims against Turkey.
Meanwhile, the International Crisis Group (ICG), an organization working to prevent conflicts worldwide, said Turkey should open its border with Armenia without expecting a settlement to the Upper Garabagh conflict. In a report that reviewed Ankara-Yerevan relations, it maintained that the unresolved status of the long-standing dispute should not impede the opening of the border.
"The politicized debate whether to recognize as genocide the destruction of much of the Ottoman Armenian population and the stalemated Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh should not halt momentum," the report urged.
The Brussels-based security think tank said, further, that "Turkey and Armenia are close to settling a dispute that has long roiled Caucasus politics, isolated Armenia and cast a shadow over Turkey`s European Union ambition."
Tabib Huseynov, the ICG`s representative on Azerbaijan said, while commenting on the report, that keeping the border open currently appeared more acceptable because if Armenia fails to take a constructive position on the Garabagh problem, Turkey could use the levers it will gain to influence Yerevan`s stance.
"I am talking about the possibility of increasing transit and visa fees at the border. This option is actually a more civilized one, is more comprehensible for the rest of the world and, at the same time, one that is more compliant with the interests of Turkey and Azerbaijan."
Huseynov said another recommendation of the ICG concerned the involvement of third parties in peace talks.
"In particular, the United States should not take any actions that would derail these talks. If the American administration uses the `genocide` term with regard to the historical developments, this would put a big cross on the improvements in Turkey-Armenia relations. To prevent this from happening, we recommend that the European Union countries and the U.S. refrain from such words."
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