Armenian-Turkish Relations

[hitite]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Azerbaijan Threatens to Cut Gas to Turkey Over Armenia Deal
[ 2009/04/02 | 12:54 ]

Concerned that the Turkish government might open its border with Armenia before reconciliation is reached, the Azerbaijani government has signaled it might stop selling natural gas to Turkey, this according to Hurriyet DailyNews.Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told third parties that Baku would cut gas supplies to Turkey if Ankara reaches an agreement with Yerevan before substantial progress is underway on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review has learned. As a sign of how serious it is, Azerbaijan signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia last week for long-term supply of gas at market prices.

Turkey and Armenia are said to have come very close to an agreement on the timetable to normalize relations. As April 24 is approaching, the date each year when the United States issues a presidential statement on the World War I mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, expectations are high that Turkey and Armenia will announce an agreement. U.S. President Obama had pledged to recognize the Armenian killings as “genocide” during his election campaign. A joint statement by Turkish and Armenian officials on the normalization of relations might prevent Obama from using the word “genocide.”

This development in turn has upset the Azerbaijani government, which argues a decision to open Turkey’s borders with Armenia would leave Baku at a disadvantage in negotiating for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territory. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been the target of severe criticism in the Azerbaijani press with commentators there accusing the Turkish government of selling out. The Turkish Foreign Ministry has been informed that Aliyev has told third parties that were Turkey to open its borders to Armenia, cooperation on energy supplies would end.

http://hetq.am/en/politics/6902/

Turkey has been secretly meeting Armenian diplomats since 2002. The goal is to open borders with Armenia and normalize relations and possibly come to an agreement between the TR-AR-AZ trio. Azerbajan knows this well and has naturally been included in negotiations. Azerbaijan cannot afford to not sell gas to Turkey and Turkey in return cannot afford to cut ties with AZ. Gül after his visit to Armenia for the football match immediately went to AZ to discuss what happened during his AR visit so everybody is in this and there are no secrets.

This IMHO is necessarily an American plan to end Russian influence over ROA and make Armenia economically and eventually militarily dependant on Turkey thus USA.

This plan has been drawn years ago and any news of AZ crying over TR-AR talks is just part of the plan.

[hitite]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Turkey, Armenia agree to open formal talks on three disputed issues
ISTANBUL - Turkey and Armenia have agreed to open formal talks on a number of issues, including opening their joint border, in a step towards the normalization of relations, the Wall Street Journal, or WSJ, reported Thursday.

Turkey, Armenia agree to open formal talks on three disputed issues

The two neighbors, who have not had diplomatic relations for more than a decade, will open talks on opening borders, restoring diplomatic relations and setting up commissions to deal with historical disputes, the report said citing diplomats.

The Turkish and Armenian governments could soon announce the deal, diplomats told the paper, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The diplomats, who said the timing of the deal is being choreographed to coincide with the schedule of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Turkey on Sunday, added that one date under discussion for signing the agreement with Armenia is April 16, the WSJ suggested.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border has been closed for more than a decade over Armenia's invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan. Armenia's attempts, with the backing of the diaspora, to have the international community to admit its claims regarding the 1915 incidents instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations, are other disputed topics between the two neighboring countries.

Both countries have however been engaged in a normalization process since Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan last year to watch a World Cup qualifying football match between the countries national teams.

Normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia would "create a new and positive dynamic" alliance in the region, "as well as developing the economic and transport links that we have been pursuing since the collapse of the former Soviet Union," U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew J. Bryza, the State Department's point man in the Caucasus, told the paper.

Bryza traveled to Azerbaijan Thursday to discuss how a Turkish-Armenian agreement could help revive efforts for a settlement on Nagorno-Karabakh, the report added.

Any move by Turkey to open the border with Armenia is likely to be unwelcomed by Azerbaijan, as recently signaled by high-level officials. Azeri officials have expressed concerns over the prospect and some media reports suggested that Baku might even go one step further in halting the sale of natural gas to Turkey.

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/11356634.asp?scr=1

[hitite]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

For those who know Turkish. Interesting last minute news:

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/11359045.asp?gid=229

[Federate]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Turkey has been secretly meeting Armenian diplomats since 2002. The goal is to open borders with Armenia and normalize relations and possibly come to an agreement between the TR-AR-AZ trio. Azerbajan knows this well and has naturally been included in negotiations. Azerbaijan cannot afford to not sell gas to Turkey and Turkey in return cannot afford to cut ties with AZ. Gül after his visit to Armenia for the football match immediately went to AZ to discuss what happened during his AR visit so everybody is in this and there are no secrets.

This IMHO is necessarily an American plan to end Russian influence over ROA and make Armenia economically and eventually militarily dependant on Turkey thus USA.

This plan has been drawn years ago and any news of AZ crying over TR-AR talks is just part of the plan.

Many theories can apply here. Another theory could be Moscow's role in the entire process. Moscow has all of a sudden become supportive of Armenian-Turkish relations and this interestingly comes right after the Georgian-South Ossetian (Russian) war. It can be seen as a Russian plot to further isolate Georgia from the region given how all Turkish goods that go to Armenia pass through Georgia making Armenia somewhat dependent on that country. Russians already own the majority of Armenia's energy sources and many other key sectors including the Armenian railway (Kars-Gyumri included I believe) so it may after all be to the economic benefit of Russia as well as this finally opens a reliable land link with Turkey.

As for AR-AZ, Turkey could not care less about Artsakh. That was the needed pretext to close border. The real issue was the genocide and the treaties that were signed during the 20s and everyone knows this including the top baboons in AZ. Turkey knows AZ will not do any major damage to their relations because the country is simply not strong enough to pull such a stunt, especially to its Turkic "brother". Turkey is looking to its own interest and right now, normalization with Armenia is in its interest. Gul's immediate visit to AZ was interesting but it was done just to calm the country down and smoothen the eventual reality that Turkey is looking out for itself.

[Federate]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Many theories can apply here. Another theory could be Moscow's role in the entire process. Moscow has all of a sudden become supportive of Armenian-Turkish relations and this interestingly comes right after the Georgian-South Ossetian (Russian) war. It can be seen as a Russian plot to further isolate Georgia from the region given how all Turkish goods that go to Armenia pass through Georgia making Armenia somewhat dependent on that country.

Check it out, Georgia is already responding.
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Georgia worried about possible opening of Armenian-Turkish border
03.04.2009 12:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Possible opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will affect Georgia, which has served as a transit for Armenian cargo so far, a Georgian official said.

“Opening of the border is a positive phenomenon of itself. However, establishment of direct trade relations between Armenia and Turkey will inflict losses on our country,” said Jemal Inaishvili, chairman of the Georgian chamber of commerce.

“The flow of cargo destined for Turkey will decrease. Besides, the freight turnover in Poti and Batumi ports will be cut,” he said.

http://panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=30079

[Alexandros]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations


Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul


Abdullah Gul denied information about Armenian-Turkish border opening on Apr. 16

03.04.2009 17:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul denied information about Armenian-Turkish border opening in nearest future.

“Media-circulated information on Turkey’s opening its border with Armenia is untrue,” the President stated before his departure to Germany to participate in NATO Jubilee Summit.

According to Abdullah Gul, Turkey aims to establish peace and stability in Caucasus and encourages friendly relations with all the states in the region, CNN Turk reported.

Wall Street Journal, citing a diplomatic source in Brussels, circulated information on possibility of Turkish-Armenian border opening and establishment of diplomatic relations on Apr. 16.

Link

[jgk3]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

nice analysis Fed.

[Alexandros]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Turk PM says no Armenia border deal

Saturday April 4, 2009

LONDON (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that a deal with Armenia on their common border would have to wait until Armenia and Azerbaijan resolve a festering dispute over an enclave in the Caucasus Mountains.

With signs of a thaw in ties between Turkey and Armenia after a century of hostility, Turkish media have speculated that Ankara could reopen the border, closed by Turkey in 1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan, which was fighting Armenian-backed separatists over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The media have speculated that Turkey might announce the breakthrough in normalizing ties with Armenia to coincide with US President Barack Obama’s visit in the hopes of persuading Washington to step back from a declaration that would severely hurt US-Turkish ties.

But Erdogan, asked about the issue yesterday, appeared to pour cold water on an imminent border deal.

“We cannot take the final step unless the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is resolved,” he told a news conference in London.

“It is clear that we are taking steps to prepare the ground for the final step but first the problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan should reach a solution. America, Russia and France should speed up this process... and make our job easier.” The Nagorno-Karabakh dispute remains one of the most serious sources of tension in the volatile and oil-rich Caucasus region.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul told a news conference in Ankara earlier yesterday that media reports that an agreement had been reached on the border were “not true.”

Link

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Karabakh issue not linked to normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations
06.04.2009 11:52 GMT+04:00 Print version Send to mail

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Normalization of Armenian–Turkish relations should have no preconditions and it is with this mutual understanding that we have been negotiating with the Turkish side, Armenian Foreign Minister said.

“Normalization of the relations has no linkage to the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh problem and has never been a subject of negotiations towards the normalization of Armenian–Turkish relations. It has been said many times, and I want to stress it again, that the normalization of Armenian–Turkish relations can never question the reality of Armenian Genocide,” Edward Nalbandian said, adding that dozens of states and international organizations have recognized the Armenian Genocide, which Armenia has welcomed.

“I believe, that the statements, which put forth preconditions for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations may be regarded as an attempt to impede the progress reached in the negotiations,” Minister Nalbandian said, the RA MFA press office reported.

source: http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=30145

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

This could be very positive to Armenia
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Turkey arms Georgia
01 April, 2009, 22:48

Turkey provided the Georgian Army, Air Force and Special Forces with unspecified military equipment, shortly after Georgia was visited by a high-ranking US General on Monday.

The appropriate documentation was signed by Major Nikoloz Bedniauri, Chief of the Logistics Department at Georgia’s Joint Staff, and Staff Captain Savas Abitzh, from the Turkish side, the
News-Georgia agency reports with reference to the Ministry of Defense in Tbilisi.

The amount and type of equipment supplied has not been disclosed.

The material and technical aid is aimed at supporting the Georgian Air Force, Army and Special Forces, as well as the Logistics Department, Motor Transport Battalion and the National Defense Academy.

The decision to allot the grant for military equipment dates back to 2005, the agency reports.

Along with other countries, including the United States and Ukraine, Turkey provides impressive military assistance to Georgia. As the Russian Defense Ministry reports, the overall arsenal recently purchased by Tbilisi from Ankara includes 60 armoured troop-carriers, 2 helicopters, firearms with ammunition, telecommunication and navigation systems and military vehicles worth $730,000. More armour, Pakistan-manufactured missiles, speedboats and other ammunition is planned for delivery in the near future.

Since 1997, the overall amount of military help Turkey has rendered to Georgia, has reached $45 million. An additional $2.65 million has been provided to purchase air-defense systems.

"Georgian Armed Forces from now on will receive training in defensive operations," the chief of Georgia's Joint Staffs, Devi Chankotadze, told reporters on Tuesday.

The news came shortly after General James Cartwright, the Vice Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his visit to Georgia this Monday.

“The General said during Monday’s visit to Georgia that the US would give assistance to this country both in terms of training the Armed Forces and in terms of technology,” Chankotadze referred to his words.

No reaction from Russia’s officials has followed so far. Russia had earlier tried to bring an international embargo on military supplies to Georgia, but officials say the initiative was not widely supported abroad. In January, President Dmitry Medvedev signed a law forbidding the sales of arms from Russia to Georgia. The arms embargo will last until December 2011.

source: http://www.russiatoday.com/Politics/...s_Georgia.html