ARMENIA HOPEFUL FOR 16 APRIL

BARACK OBAMA VISIT PROVIDES CONDITION FOR OPENING OF TURKEY-ARMENIA BORDER”

U.S. President Barack Obama will pay an official visit to Turkey on April 6-7. Opening Turkey-Armenia border and issues related Washington-Ankara relations will be discussed during the visit, Huriyyet newspaper reported.

“President Barack Obama did what his predecessors did not. Before the presidential election Obama promised Armenians to recognize Armenian genocide fives times verbally and one in a written form,” Ogan added.

Ogan said U.S. needs Turkey in withdrawing forces from Iraq and deploying new ones in Afghanistan. Turkey-Armenia border will open soon. It can take place also this month.

“Official Ankara made terms to Yerevan. None of these terms have been fulfilled yet. We oppose opening borders as Armenia has not fulfilled Turkey’s terms,” he added.

Ogan said if Turkey acts in an arbitrary manner regarding border issue, it will not have a positive effect on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

“If Turkey takes into consideration Azerbaijani government’s views and makes terms to Yerevan while opening borders, it can contribute to the conflict’s resolution. It will not help resolve the conflict if Azerbaijan’s interests are ignored while taking this step,” he said.

He said before opening borders Ankara must receive guarantee from Armenia and Washington and Azerbaijan’s interests must be taken into consideration.

“Though greater part of Turkish public is against opening borders, this move will not stir up anxiety in country,” he said.

Turkey and Armenia seek to normalize ties severed since 1993. Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan on Sept. 6, 2008 upon the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan to watch an Armenia-Turkey football match.

Efforts have been made to normalize ties between the two countries ever since.

Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed due to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, the country’s occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands and territorial claims to Turkey’s Anatolia province.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

/Trend News/

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Wall Street Journal reported refering to diplomatic sources that the agreement between Turkey and Armenia may be signed on 16 April and wrote that a high level Turkish diplomat said that U.S. struggles to easen the agreement between parties.

Wall Street Journal newspaper wrote that Turkey and Armenia paving way for a historical agreement and refered diplomatic sources writing that Turkey and Armenia may announce very soon that they are agreed on opening of state border and establishment of diplomatic relations. Newspaper wrote that such step may help stabilization of the region which gained importance as a corridor for shipment of petroleum and natural gas.

Newspaper wrote that the timing of the agreement was arranged considering Turkey visit of U.S. President Barack Obama. WSJ stated that the agreement between Turkey and Armenia will include three main clauses; Opening of border, establishment of diplomatic relations, establishment of joint historians committee for researchment of 1915 events.

American newspaper wrote that there is a strong opposition by Azerbaijan against this agreement although European countries welcome such agreement for stabilization of Caucasus.

In this context newspaper quoted Deputy Assistant Secretary of United States for European and Eurasion Affairs Matthew Bryza saying, “Normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations will have a positive effect in economy and transportation in the region.”

Newspaper reported that Bryza will visit Azerbaijan to discuss with Azerbaijani officials that how will possible opening of Turkey-Armenia border contribute to resolution process of Karabakh conflict.

Newspaper wrote that Analysts think that progress in normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations will prevent recognition of Armenian resolution by United States.