Turkey’s Gul: Armenia ties not linked to EU accession
Turkish President Abdullah Gul has said the normalization of
Turkey-Armenia relations has no bearing on the country's accession
to the European Union.
Gul told CNN Turk TV channel that some forces in Europe are trying to exert pressure on Ankara by claiming that the Turkish-Armenian and Northern Cyprus problems pose obstacles to Turkey’s admission to the EU.
Gul said that Turkey aspires to solve these problems though EU membership is not at stake.
The Turkish president said that since the signing of the October 2009 agreement on mending ties with Armenia, "a voiceless, but active policy" has been pursued.
"We are bringing ‘frozen’ conflicts to the forefront and trying to resolve them. With Russia’s leadership, a number of countries are trying to do something to reach a solution to these problems," Gul said.
Armenia and Turkey signed protocols on October 10, 2009 in Switzerland to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their sealed borders, in a bid to normalize ties, marred by decades of hostility due to Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Yerevan’s claims on 1915 "genocide" in Ottoman Turkey.
Gul also stressed the tremendous importance of ensuring peace and stability in the volatile Caucasus region. "The Caucasus should not be a wall between the East and West, and the protracted conflicts should be resolved in the region."*
Gul told CNN Turk TV channel that some forces in Europe are trying to exert pressure on Ankara by claiming that the Turkish-Armenian and Northern Cyprus problems pose obstacles to Turkey’s admission to the EU.
Gul said that Turkey aspires to solve these problems though EU membership is not at stake.
The Turkish president said that since the signing of the October 2009 agreement on mending ties with Armenia, "a voiceless, but active policy" has been pursued.
"We are bringing ‘frozen’ conflicts to the forefront and trying to resolve them. With Russia’s leadership, a number of countries are trying to do something to reach a solution to these problems," Gul said.
Armenia and Turkey signed protocols on October 10, 2009 in Switzerland to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their sealed borders, in a bid to normalize ties, marred by decades of hostility due to Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Yerevan’s claims on 1915 "genocide" in Ottoman Turkey.
Gul also stressed the tremendous importance of ensuring peace and stability in the volatile Caucasus region. "The Caucasus should not be a wall between the East and West, and the protracted conflicts should be resolved in the region."*
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