Today's Zaman, by Ali Yurttagül -- The most important development that had a tremendous impact on foreign relations last year was Turkey’s Armenian initiative.

Relations between the two countries, under the shadow of a dark cloud with deep history, are laden with taboos that are “indisputable” or difficult to debate both in Turkey and in Armenia. Affected also by the irresolvable Nagorno-Karabakh problem, relations between the two countries achieved a breakthrough for the first time with this initiative and the protocols that were signed.

In a move that seemed to imply that the cold weather would not accelerate efforts to warm up relations, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan connected the implementation of the protocols to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem to comfort panic-stricken Azerbaijan and gave the impression that the government was taking a step back from its initiative policy. Turkey must change this impression by ratifying the protocols in Parliament as soon as possible and show the world that it is determined in pursuing its Armenian initiative, which has the potential to become the epitome of Turkey’s “zero problems with neighbors” policy.

The Armenian initiative, clearly a product of a well-thought out policy, is an effort that is appropriated from many perspectives and has the potential to make Turkey a determinant actor, particularly in the South Caucasus. The initiative has added dynamism to rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and due to its potential to bring stability and peace to the South Caucasus, it is a development that benefits Turkey in every aspect. Let us take a closer look at the dynamics of the initiative, which both Turkish and Armenian extreme nationalists vehemently oppose; allow me to offer insight into the matter from Brussels.

The most important and main advantage of the initiative is that Turkey has abandoned its passive policy in which it was nothing more than leverage for Azerbaijan in the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh problem and decided to become an active political actor in the South Caucasus. For years Turkey was not only demoted to the position of a trump card in Azerbaijan’s hand but was turned into a component of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. While a country like France, which has absolutely nothing to do with the region, took a seat in the Minsk Group with Russia and the US and became an “active” partner in the South Caucasus, Turkey became a “problem.” But with its initiative policy, Turkey has managed to become an actor in the South Caucasus and a locomotive of the peace and stability process that the Minsk Group failed to create. It also changed the point of reference from Baku to Ankara in reaching decisions about Turkey’s Armenian and South Caucasus policy.

There are other reasons why Turkey needs to continue this active and correct course.

It’s important that the Turkish Parliament ratify the protocols signed with Armenia not only to ensure credibility and confidence in international relations but also to ensure credibility toward its principle of “zero problems with neighbors” policy. It is wrong to see the ratification of the protocols, the establishing of diplomatic relations with Armenia and the opening of borders as “concessions” or indifference to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. We will return to this subject later.

Looking at what applies to today

Not ratifying the protocols or reconnecting them to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem will not only validate accusations that “Turkey hasn’t changed, its continuing the old policy” but also reduce the initiative policy to an effort that consists of a “Levantine trick.” Turkey has suffered and lost a lot in foreign and domestic policy by applying the “what was said yesterday doesn’t apply today” policy. Turkey found the opportunity -- not with its Syrian initiative -- but with its Armenian initiative to show the entire world that its old policy is history and will not return again. Plausibility and determination contain import messages for both foreign relations and problematic policies such as the Cyprus issue and the European Union membership process. A step back in the Armenian initiative would without a doubt send a message in the wrong direction.

The accusation that Turkey is making concessions to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem with its new policy is baseless. Within months Turkey made major progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem with the initiative, compared to the Minsk Group, which had been working for 15 years to make a breakthrough in the problem. Turkey has also managed to shed light on other important dimensions of the problem that were left in the dark. While Armenia continues to occupy a grave 25 percent of Azerbaijani territories, more than a million Azerbaijani citizens are desperately waiting to return to their lands and homes.

The dimension of the “Nagorno-Karabakh problem” that needs to urgently be solved is the liberation of lands that are “not related to Nagorno-Karabakh.” If Armenia stops its occupation, this will be a critical step toward peace and stability and will facilitate finding a solution to the “Nagorno-Karabakh problem.” To make progress in the Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh problem, Turkey must be steadfast in its initiative policy and show both Azerbaijan and Armenia that it is determined to achieve peace and stability and that it will develop future policies around its peace and stability goals.

One of the countries that will benefit the most from the initiative is Azerbaijan. Until now Armenia has been both “guilty and defensive.” Because Armenia convincingly argued that it was being “threatened” by Turkey, its Russia-oriented “balance” policy in the West found support, and despite its continued occupation of Azerbaijani territories, it was treated as if it were an “oppressed” side. But the focus of this “balance” policy lost ground with Turkey’s initiative policy and is facing the risk of destruction. Turkey has opened the gateway to the West for Armenia. We will soon see if Armenia will shift the weight in its “balance” policy from Moscow, where the weight has been until now, toward Brussels.

Armenia to search for West-oriented balances

Current data suggest that following Turkey’s initiative, Armenia will search for new West-oriented balances and end its occupation policy for its own political and economic interests. This kind of process would first and foremost be in favor of Azerbaijan. Developments in recent months show the dynamism and good fortune underlying Turkey’s initiative policy. I suspect Azerbaijani diplomats have realized in recent months that there is no reason to be doubtful about the initiative policy. As for the thesis that has become a kind of taboo in Armenia -- namely, that Armenian-Turkish relations cannot be linked to Azerbaijan or Nagorno-Karabakh -- this is as naive as saying that there is no relationship between the coming of spring and the blossoming of flowers and is far from convincing.

The day diplomatic relations start with Turkey and Armenia, the Nagorno-Karabakh problem will be put on the table. Is Armenia going to lay out the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and its relations with Azerbaijan on the table with France, Russia, the US and Italy but not talk with its new diplomatic partner Ankara and oppose Turkey from putting into play its attempts to facilitate relations? This kind of policy is not only meaningless but contradicts the good relations mentality and is for this reason unrealistic. In addition to Armenia, Turkey needs to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and the general situation of the South Caucasus with the EU, the US, Russia and every other related country and put all international relations into play to obtain peace and stability in the region. It is for this reason that Turkey’s initiative policy contains important opportunities in terms of its relations with the EU. Until now, Turkey’s ties with Armenia had been a problem in EU membership negotiations.

Even though it is not yet a member of the EU, Turkey’s initiative policy has made it an actor that shapes the EU’s South Caucasus policy. Turkey has become Armenia’s gateway to the EU not only politically and economically but also geographically. The initiative policy is adding new dimensions to both Turkey’s and the EU’s policy on the South Caucasus. It is for this reason that Turkey needs to remain steadfast in pursing the Armenian initiative without paying head to unproductive domestic political balances and extreme national reflexes and ratify the protocols in Parliament.

The internal political dimension of relations with Armenia is also very important. Hrant Dink died three years ago. The people behind his killing are still a mystery. But it’s clear that these people are the same people who wrote the darkest pages of Turkey’s history. Just skimming through the politically important report requested by Prime Minister Erdoğan on the “weaknesses” in the security forces and the Dink assassination is enough to see that the Armenian issue has poisoned every aspect of Turkish society, including the state and institutions. The Dink trial, which has been continuing for three years, could be concluded without the real criminals being punished. However, with the Armenian initiative, Turkey has taken an important step in solving a problem that has poisoned the society and has been exploited by tainted hands. In order for the thousands of Turkish-Armenians to sleep comfortably at night and feel like they are equal citizens of this country, the policy of tension with Armenia must be ended. If this initiative fosters debate and understanding on our painful past, then Dink’s blood will not have been shed in vain and progress will be achieved in a matter that he dedicated his life to -- namely, Turkey-Armenia rapprochement.

The Armenian initiative is a correct political initiative from every aspect and must be put into practice with all its targeted dynamics as soon as possible. The Turkish Parliament should ratify the protocols before the process loses its charm. The question of whether Armenia is going to fulfill its responsibility should not be made a precondition for Turkey to fulfill its own responsibilities. If Turkey does its part, nothing may change, as is the case in Cyprus, but even in the worse case scenario, the issue will remain on the table as just an Armenian problem. It is not very difficult to imagine what would happen next.

*Ali Yurttagül is a political adviser for the Greens in the European Parliament.