Yerevan offers Turks a new road map for the normalization of Armenia

Aravot newspaper [Armenian], Armenia
Dec 10 2013

Yerevan offers Turks a new road map for the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations

[Translated from Armenian]

A source in the Armenian Foreign Ministry said that Armenia has
developed a new road map for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations forwarded 10 days ago via unidentified channels personally
to [Turkish Foreign Minister] Ahmet Davutoglu.

It is clear that [Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s
government which started its tenure with slogans like “zero problems
with neighbours” and currently having reached a level of “serious
problems with all neighbours” has a task of saving the face in the
international arena and in essence, is not against a serious
discussion of the Armenian road map under the condition of strict
confidentiality.

The same source claims that the map is concentrating on three specific
points:

1. Turkey should publicly recognize the fact of the Armenian genocide
[in 1915], its responsibility for it, and apologize for it to the
Armenians worldwide.

2. Turkey should open the Armenian border [sealed in 1993] and
establish diplomatic relations with Armenia.

3. Subsequently, Turkey might be involved in the efforts of peaceful
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and be allowed to
implement non-governmental projects aimed at checking
[Armenian-Azerbaijani] aggressive rhetoric, preventing border
incidents, withdrawing snipers, and preparing societies for peace.

It is believed that within the framework of Davutoglu’s visit to [the
Armenian capital of] Yerevan, he will have the opportunity to inform
[Armenian Foreign Minister] Edvard Nalbandyan on Ankara’s position on
the road map.