1. Home
    2.  
  2. News
  3. Political parties and trade-unions, Politics and institutions

News

Turkey and Armenia agree to open the border by the end of 2009

 
Both countries will put decision to the vote in their parliaments · Protocol agreed includes fields on which countries will co-operate and compels to discuss on the 'historic dimension' of the conflict between Ankara and Yerevan, particularly regarding 1915 Ottoman Turk slaughter of ethnic Armenians.

Armenia and Turkey are slowly moving towards re-establishment of diplomatic relations. The agreement both countries have reached with the mediation of Switzerland is last news on the matter. The deal includes the opening of the border, which has been blocked by Turkey for the last 15 years. The protocol on "The Establishment of Diplomatic Relations" should lead to normalisation of the countries' long severed ties and even to a revision of the common historical memory.

Before that happens Ankara and Yerevan will have to start a process of internal consultation and get the support of their legislative assemblies within a period of 6 weeks. If there are no hitches the border will re-open a few months later -by the end of 2009 at the earliest- and controversial issues will start to be dealt with, namely Turkish recognition of the 1915 Ottoman Turk slaughter of ethnic Armenians, considered genocide by Yerevan, and the Nagorno Karabakh question. Nagorno Karabakh is a de facto independent territory within Azerbaijan -a regional ally of Turkey- which has Armenia's support.

As EurasiaNet reports, the protocol -which can be checked at the Armenian foreign affairs ministry website- compels both sides to "implement a discussion on the historical dimension" of such facts, although they are never mentioned. To that end the protocol establishes the creation of several intergovernmental sub-commissions to examine co-operation on a number of issues, one of which will deal separately on the historical dimension.

Harsh reactions
Reactions against the deal have been immediate not only in Turkey and Armenia but also in Azerbaijan. The two main Turkish parties in opposition, the Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Action (MHP), have said the accord will not guarantee Armenia's pull out from Nagorno Karabakh.

In Armenia, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun), has declared Yerevan is using "the topic of the Armenian genocide as a bargaining chip in talks with Turkey", RFE/RL reports.

Last but not least, Azerbaijan foreign affairs minister has said that "opening of Armenia-Turkey border without resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict contradicts national interests of Azerbaijan".

Further information: