Will EU Press On Turkey To Open The Border-Gate?

November 16, 2004, Hakob Chakrian, Azg: Discussions over Armenian-Turkish relations gathered new momentum recently. Armenia’s pushy policy in achieving international acknowledgement of Armenian Genocide and footless conclusions about removing the issue from Armenia’s foreign agenda were in the center of discussions.

Turkish Haber Analiz and Aksham online editions were actively involved in the debates. While Haber Analiz was publishing opinions of employees of Ankara Eurasian Military Research Center, Aksham mentioned names of Armenian Diaspora representatives in order to confirm Center's opinions.

In response to Turkish press, AZG Daily voiced an opinion that Turkey wants to disorient the world community in the face of EU accession talks as well as signaling to Armenia to reconsider its Turkish policy.

Though the press office of Foreign Ministry of Armenia officially stated that "there is no change in Armenia's foreign policy as regards Genocide acknowledgement" and Turkish Foreign Ministry's indirect confirmation of the fact, Turkish press still continues its speculations. Even more, Reuter's interview with Kars mayor Naif Alibeyoghlu held in support of border-gate opening became a reason for speculations.

On November 11 Gyunduz Aktan, ex-ambassador and member of Armenian-Turkish Reconciliation Commission spoke out of Reuter's interview from the pages of Radical. According to Milliet's November 11 issue, Reuter considered Kars mayor "purposeful man" and noted about his dream of quitting the blockade set up 11 years ago as well as about 50 thousand signatures collected in support of this purpose.

According to Radical, Alibeyoghlu underscored the importance of Armenian-Turkish border opening for region's peace and prosperity, and Reuter added that Ankara does not share Kars mayor's optimism. Aktan who heads the Eurasian Military Research Center told Radical that the problem is not merely the border-gate opening but "Armenia's demand of Armenian genocide recognition".

Armenia never made such demand to Turkey but instead continuously displays readiness to improve Armenian-Turkish relations without any precondition and even emphasized that Genocide acknowledgement is not obligatory. As Armenia's readiness has to be known to Aktan, then his concern is to make Armenia give up Genocide recognition claims in exchange for open border.

This means that Turkey's political circles consider EU's pressures to be real if not in the sphere of improvement of relations with Armenia then in the sphere of border opening. In search of ways to ease the pressure, Turkey resorts to means of confusing the world community, meanwhile misleading the Turkish society.