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Armenia and Turkey-EU Relations |
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Saturday, 1 October 2005Kemalettin SUKOCA (YEREVAN and ANKARA) - Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said that "If Turkey wants to join the EU it should become like the other member states: settle problems with the neighbors and reconcile with its past".
Speaking about the European Parliament's (EP) resolution on Armenian allegations, Vartan Oskanian said that discussion of "Armenian issues will have positive impact on improvement of Armenia-Turkish relations". "If Turkey wants to join the EU it should become like the other member states: settle problems with the neighbors and reconcile with its past", the foreign minister said labeling the resolution "positive and natural as it should have been".
Ironically Armenia has thorny relations with its all neighbors except Iran. And Armenia is the only European country who occupies another European countries territories. The experts on Caucasus say that the Armenian irredentism threat Georgian territorial integrity. Armenia does not recognise neighboring Turkey's and Azerbaijan's national borders. Armenia has only good relations with Iran and Russia in the region.
"TURKISH MEMBERSHIP IS GOOD FOR THE ARMENIANS TOO
Davut Sahiner told the JTW that a EU member Turkey would be very beneficial for the Caucasus including Armenia. Armenian economy would be integrated into the European markets. Moreover a EU member Turkey will contribute to solve the Armenian problem, including the allegations regarding the 1915 events". Turkey Armenians strongly have supported Turkey's EU membership with the Greek minority in Turkey. The Leader of the Armenian Church in Turkey urged the EU leaders to support Turkey's EU membership. Mesrob II also said that a failure in Turkey's membership process would harm regional stability. Mesrob II also wrote a letter to the 25 EU foreign ministers, who will hold an emergency meeting Sunday.
Similarly Dr. Sedat Laciner said that Turkey's EU membership will guarantee Armenia's security in the region. "Armenians does not feel themselves in a secure region. This is a perception. In fact no state plans to attack Yerevan. However as a result of this perception, Armenia has always been a conflict environment. No investor likes to make investment to such a country. Moreover Armenia spends a lot to militarization while Turkey and Azerbaijan has lured great foreign investment. If Turkey becomes EU member, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan will be neighbor to the European Union. Possibly all these three countries will follow Turkey in near future. The Turkish people expected that the Armenians would be the first nation to support Turkey's EU membership. Armenians in Turkey did actually. However the Diaspora Armenians have made anything possible to undermine Turkish EU bid. I think they cannot see what is good for Armenia and Armenians, or they intentionally try to prevent Turkey's membership, because if Turkey enters the EU, the nature of the Armenian problem would change a lot. The Diaspora institutions could not abuse the problems. And finally a solution to Armenian issue will make many poor in diaspora ÔÇİArmenian Issue industry'.
Kemalettin SUKOCA (JTW)
1 October 2005
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Saturday, 1 October 2005
Turkey's EU Membership: Good for Ar
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