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Past Impedes Normalization of Relations between Armenia and Turkey

Politics Materials 24 July 2008 11:10 (UTC +04:00)
Past Impedes Normalization of Relations between  Armenia and   Turkey

Azerbaijan, Baku, 23 July/ Trend , corr V. Zhavoronkova, R. Hafizoglu/ Though it is important to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey, they will not solve the problem as it was emotionally charged with feelings they both had, experts said.

"As long as the problem was a conflict between the two nations and it was emotionally charged with feelings they both had, nothing could solve the problem. But, under the ongoing circumstance negotiation becomes the rational choice," the European expert Jalil Roshandel said.

Turkey cut off diplomatic relations with Armenia because of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, major disagreements between Yerevan and Ankara are due to the events that took place at the beginning of 20th century when during the World War I there was massacre against the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Armenians say that the massacre claimed the lives of more than 1 million of Armenians. Turkey rejects 'genocide' claims, BBC Russian reported.

On 8 July, 'secret talks' were held between Turkish and Armenian diplomats.

"Their European counterparts are listing Turkish-Armenian century old hostility as one of the major reasons why they cannot be granted European identity," Roshandel, Director of Security Studies of the Social Sciences Institute of France said to Trend by e-mail.

The Turkish expert Ihsan Tezegul believes that raising the issue of relation between Armenia and Turkey may be a political order.

"Though the government does not provide official comments, it is likely that they are required to normalize relations with Armenia in exchange for support for AK party by the European Union," Tezegul, expert on Armenia-Turkish relations said to Trend by telephone.

At present, the Constitutional Court of Turkey is examining the appeal against the intentions of the ruling Justice and Development Party to introduce the rules of Shariat in secular Turkey. EU believes that this court can affect Turkey's chances to become EU member and it should be solved by voting, but not by court.

Michael Gunter, the professor of the Tennessee Technological University and Professor of Political Science also believes that the results of the talks between Armenia and Turkey held after long years of enmity is not promising. According to expert, several recent attempts to normalize the relations have failed to accomplish much.

According to Roshandel, because of the long history of animosity the two states are trying to bring everything into a normal phase with some solid understanding to mutual expectations so that once it is no more concealed, only small and unimportant parts needs to be opened to public.

"However, as long as both Turkey and Armenia claim that their ancestors did nothing wrong, while being victimized by the other, Gwynne Dyer's apt description of "Turkish Falsifiers and Armenian Deceivers" will continue to prevail," Gunter said.

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