Azerbaijan, Baku, April 2 / Trend , R. Hafizoglu/
Turkey's Center for International Relations and Strategic Analysis (TUKRAM) said U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Turkey creates conditions for opening Turkey-Armenia relations.
"Opening the Turkey-Armenia borders should not be a surprise for anyone," TURKAM Director Sinan Ogan told Trend in a telephone conversation from Ankara.
U.S. President Barack Obama will pay an official visit to Turkey on April 6-7. Opening the Turkey-Armenia border and issues related to Washington-Ankara relations will be discussed during the visit, the Huriyyet newspaper reported.
"Obama did what his predecessors did not. Before the presidential elections, Obama promised Armenians to recognize the 'Armenian Genocide' 5 times verbally and once in written form," Ogan added.
Ogan said the U.S. needs Turkish troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Turkey-Armenia border will open soon, he added. It may take place this month.
"Official Ankara made a number of terms to Yerevan. None have been fulfilled. We oppose opening the borders as a result," Ogan said.
Ogan added that if Turkey acts in an arbitrary manner regarding the border, then it will negatively affect the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.
"If Turkey takes into consideration the Azerbaijani government's views and makes demands to Yerevan while opening the borders, it can contribute to the conflict's resolution. It will not help to resolve the conflict if Azerbaijan's interests are ignored while taking this step," he said.
Before opening the borders, Ogan said, Ankara must receive a guarantee from Armenia and Washington and Azerbaijan's interests must be taken into account.
"Though the greater part of the Turkish public is against opening the borders, this move will not stir anxiety in the 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.
Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at: [email protected]
