| ‘In February 2001, secret bilateral talks to take place in Geneva was being planned to be held at the level of the undersecretaries of the Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministries. But the approval of the genocide resolution by the French Senate threw the efforts into disarray’
SAADET ORUC
As Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is getting prepared to meet with his Armenian colleague Vartan Oskanyan in Reykjavik, Iceland, a very important historical fact was revealed for the Turkish Daily News.
It was stated that the French Senate approval for the so-called Armenian genocide resolution cracked efforts for launching secret diplomatic talks between Turkey and Armenia to take place in January 2001.
The preparations made for the secret talks failed with the passing of the resolution, no matter carefully-prepared chain of relations were being transferred to a proper ground for building ties on.
The story began at the end of the year 2000, well-placed TDN sources described.
Foreign Ministry has reportedly prepared an “action plan” for removing the genocide claims from the agenda in December 2000.
The meeting of the National Security Council on November 2000 has reportedly discussed ways to progress ties between Yerevan and Ankara.
Government then had a distanced position for the action plan, which based on three main parameters to improve relations with Armenia step by step. Main concern of the government was a possible Azerbaijani reaction.
The focus would be on the improvement of bilateral economic ties and the support for Armenian Patriarch Mutafyan, as well as the solution of the problems of Armenians living in Turkey.
And on January 10, a senior Turkish diplomat was telling a group of reporters that Turkey aimed to feel the pulse for improving diplomatic contacts with Armenia, but not diplomatic relations.
While, the top Turkish diplomat was describing these with cautious words, the ground for the launching of secret bilateral talks with Armenia to take place in a European capital was being prepared.
“At the beginning of February, secret bilateral talks to take place in Geneva was being planned to be held at the level of the undersecretaries of the Foreign Ministries of the two countries. But the approval of the genocide resolution by the French Senate threw the efforts into disarray,” sources described.
“I called the French official, who was working for the passing of the resolution. I told him that he has waited for 85 years and asked him wait for more a month,” another official described.
“A delegation including TUSIAD’s Aldo Kaslowski and ANAP’s Bulent Akarcali was preparing to visit Paris to see President Jacques Chirac on Monday. Resolution passed on Friday, on Monday Chirac left for Italy, Official Gazetta published it on Tuesday and the Turkish delegation had to return back to Ankara without being able to see anyone,” he continued.
“And the Geneva meeting of the top diplomats of the each sides failed,” he emphasized.
Important players
The resolutions process brought nothing to both sides, no matter a leading Western diplomat focusing on Turkish-Armenian relations was commenting that at least it led the formation of Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Committee (TARC).
Journalists, businessmen, Armenian patriarch in Istanbul were involved in the preparation of the suitable ground for the formation of bilateral relations.
Turkish-Armenian Business Development Committee (TABDC) acted as the volunteer ambassador, as the two co-chairmen of the council, Kaan Soyak and Arsen Gazarian did a lot for bringing the process to that point.
Soyak has been present at every step of the improvement process.
Turkish journalists arriving in Yerevan were welcomed with red-carpet treatment and a serious interest was shown both from the Armenian Foreign Ministry and the press.
Diplomacy Correspondents’ Association (DMD) and its chairman Yusuf Kanli also played an important role for reaching the maturity of the press of the each country, which paved the way for the ongoing dialogue and people-to-people relations.
As the May 14 meeting is being prepared, Karen Mirzoyan of the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s Middle East Department arrived in Ankara and met with Ertan Tezgor of the Foreign Ministry for laying the ground of the Cem-Oskanyan meeting.
Important steps are expected to be taken in Reykjavik, from the announcement of an agenda for the opening of the border between the two states to the launching of the work to be done by historians.
September 11 process also has commented to be a leading factor paving the way for the betterment of ties, since the two states are gathering at the same front, which is the anti-terrorism axis. |
Akgün Medya