Turkish-Armenian deal on course, Clinton says

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says in a press conference that the process between Turkey and Armenia aiming to normalize their ties continues positively. Although there have been no concrete steps taken by either state since late April, Clinton says Washington strongly supports the process including a road map.

Despite a lack of visible progress since late April when Turkey and Armenia jointly pledged to normalize their ties, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the deal was on track and that Washington strongly supported the process.

Clinton was speaking after a Friday meeting with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu at the State Department.

With Switzerland standing as observer, Turkey and Armenia jointly said April 22 that they would work to normalize their relations and that a road map had been drawn up for that.

Although it has not been made public, the road map is believed to include a set of steps, including the creation of full diplomatic ties, and more importantly, the opening of the two neighbors’ land border.

Turkey was one of the first nations to recognize Armenia’s independence from the disintegrating Soviet Union in 1991, but has never set up diplomatic relations because of a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Ankara also closed in 1993 the land border after the Armenian invasion and occupation of the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and part of Azerbaijan proper. A fragile cease-fire is in place, but a peace agreement has never been signed.

Azerbaijan is concerned over the possibility that Turkey may normalize ties with Armenia without progress toward the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

Relieving Azerbaijani worries, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged in Baku in early May that Turkey would not open the Armenian border without a Karabakh solution.

On the U.S. front, American Armenians are pressuring the administration and Congress for formal recognition of World War I-era killings of Armenians in the Ottoman empire as “genocide,” and analysts warn that without a normalization of ties between Ankara and Yerevan, this matter will remain a threat for Turkey.

But at the Washington meeting with Foreign Minister Davutoğlu, Clinton struck a hopeful note that the normalization would take place.

Swiss assistance
“I have been very encouraged by the progress that has been made and by the commitment of the governments involved. Certainly Turkey and Armenia, with the assistance of the Swiss government, have committed themselves to a process of normalization,” she said.

“We’re well aware that this is difficult. It requires patience and perseverance. But we have seen no flagging of commitment,” she said. “We believe that a lot of progress has been made in a relatively short period of time to resolve issues that are of long standing.”

Clinton said that Azerbaijan and Armenia were also working on the Karabakh problem.

Davutoğlu said: “we are fully committed to our normalization process with Armenia.”

He also said that “on the main regional issues like the Middle East, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Caucasus, Black Sea, and all the relevant issues, we have a common agenda.”

Source: Hurriyet
URL: arama.hurriyet.com.tr/arsivnews.aspx?id=11815825

Posted by admin June 2009

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