OSKANIAN: TURKEY LOST TWO POSSIBILITIES OF SPREADING ITS INFLUENCE IN REGION
YERKIR
20.12.2007 13:28
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Turkey has lost two historic possibilities in the
past 17 years to contribute positively in the peace, stability and
economic development in the South Caucasus region, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian has said when speaking at a parliamentary
hearing on December 19 on the Armenian-Turkish relations.
He said that after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, a vacuum emerged
because Russia was weak and the competition was between Turkey and
Iran. And because the West was against Iran’s influence in the region,
the field was open for Turkey. But Turkey was not able to put his
ethic political interests below its strategic interests. In addition,
Azerbaijan pressured Turkey not to open the Armenian-Turkish border
and refuse establishing diplomatic relations.
Oskanian said Turkey could use the second opportunity to get out of
this situation when it began the European Union accession talks. Turkey
could tell its people and Azerbaijan that joining the EU is a priority,
so it should normalize the relations with Armenia. But Turkey did
not do that.