YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS: The issue of the closed borders between Armenia and Turkey is a complicated problem having gone beyond the frameworks of the two countries’ relations and acquiring a regional dimensions and its resolution is contingent first of all on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Suat Kinikioglu, the president of Ankara office of the US Marshal Foundation said today in Yerevan.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Yerevan on European integration, he said Turkey would open its sealed borders with Armenia if the latter ‘made a symbolic sign, showed a good will and a gesture and pulled its troops from out of 2 or 3 Azerbaijani regions,’ controlled now by Armenian troops. “We are seeing obvious positive steps in relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and if they agree on a mutually acceptable conflict settlement option Turkey will open its border the next day,” he said.
According to him, the government of prime minister Erdogan has been putting a lot of emphasis on normalization of relations with Turkey’s neighbors in the last 26 months, wishing to improve relations not only with Armenia, but also with Syria, Iran and Iraq. Speaking about the issue of the Armenian genocide, he mentioned extensive and lively discussions and debates in Turkey on this issue saying he was hopeful a breakthrough may occur in five or so years. He also argued that Armenia would benefit from Turkey’s joining the European Union.
”If I were an Armenian I would support Turkey’s drive to join the EU because I think first of all any country joining the EU becomes more open, it becomes more transparent, there is more emphasis on the civil society in every country that joins the EU. Social society becomes more important in this process. Many Armenians would be surprised to hear how diversified and lively are debates on Armenian-Turkish relations today in Turkey. Many Turks are curious to learn more about Armenia,” he said.
He said Turkey’s membership in the EU would mean open borders, increased trade among the regional countries, opening a 72 million Turkish market to also Georgia and Azerbaijan.
“Armenian manufactures can gain a lot from selling their products to Turkey, also it would benefit from the use of Turkish Black Sea ports, to allow Armenians products to be sold in other markets. I am not saying we should forget about the past, it is very important that we talk about it but we should also look to the future. We should not allow our children to live with the burden of the past,” he said.
Yorumlar kapatıldı.