437) Armenia: A Neighbor from Hell?

Armenian President Robert Kocharian was on a two-day visit to Brussels. Mr. Kocharian met many European leaders and important EU figures including Guy Verhofstad (Belgium Prime Minister), Jozep Borell-Fontels (President of the European Parliament), Javier Solana (EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy), Jose Manuel Barroso (European Commission President), Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (NATO Secretary-General). Mr. Armenian President ‘squealed’ on Turkey. . . . He complained about Turkey everywhere in Brussels. According to Kocharian Turkey is the only one who is responsible for everything goes bad in Armenia and in Caucasus: Turkey caused democracy and human rights problems in Armenia; Turkey undermined Armenian economy; Turkey does not open its borders for the poor Armenians; Turkey does not recognise what the Ottomans did in 1918; Turkey helps Azerbaijanis against Armenians; Turkey constructs a railway with Georgia and Azerbaijan etc. Turkey did bad this, Turkey did bad that…

No one asked Kocharian why Armenian forces occupied about 20 percent of neighboring Azerbaijan? No European leader questioned why about 1 million Azerbaijanis from occupied territories are still refugees? Neither Barroso nor Scheffer urged Armenian President to recognise Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s national borders immediately? And none of them asked Mr. Kocharian why he is obsessed with the events happened almost 100 years ago instead of studying the current problems in the region? Armenia has nuclear reactor with very old technology, but there is no real pressure on Armenians to renew it!... Strange, but Armenia seems the golden child of the West. They can do anything they wish, and no one criticizes Armenians even they threaten their almost all neighbors.

When the Soviet Union collapsed Georgia and Azerbaijan realized that the only way to become a really independent state is to escape the Russian influence. Both countries first tried to remove the Russian bases from their territories. Second they established close relations with the United States, EU, Israel and other regional states including Turkey. Russia punished both of them for this. The ethnic clashes have never ended in Georgia and Tbilisi still suffers from the Russian involvement in the country. The bloody riots and instability in Azerbaijan were also Russia-made. Russian military openly supported the Armenian occupying forces in Karabakh against Azerbaijan. Both Georgia and Azerbaijan publicly declared that they seek to become NATO and EU members in near future. Georgia opened its territories to the US soldiers and Azerbaijan made any possible co-operation with the NATO and US in Iraq and Afghanistan operations. Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan with the Western countries searched the regional integration ways and they mainly used the economic instruments to integrate the region into the rest of the world. The most significant step in these efforts was the BTC (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan) Pipeline Project.

The BTC pipeline will run through Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean coast. The project, led by British oil giant BP with the support of the US government, covers 1,760 km (1,094 miles). All of these countries have great hopes regarding the project. The project will mostly put an end to the economic problems and will provide a environment suitable for open societies. The project will affect the region in political ways as well. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said "I have no false illusions that this one pipe will be able to solve all our problems, but this is a start. This pipeline marks a major step toward the independence of both Georgia and Azerbaijan." However Saakashvili also warned about the obstacles: he said that “some forces had tried to stop the project but had failed”. It is obvious that these some forces were Russia and Armenia. Armenian diaspora in Europe and North America did anything to sabotage the Project. Thanks God, they failed and the BTC will guarantee the stability and economic development in the region. Similarly Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan started a trans-Caucasus railway project to integrate three countries and Caucasus to Europe. Normally Turkey wants to include Armenia to this project, yet the Armenian forces still occupy the Azerbaijani territories. As expected the Armenian Diaspora and Armenia again opposed the railway project and claimed the project was against Armenian interests.

Contrary to the Azerbaijani and Georgian policies, Yerevan chose a different path after the collapse of the Soviet Union: Armenia strangely approached the Russians to become independent because Armenians thought that independence equals more territories. Nationalist Armenians dreamed to establish a greater Armenia. Jevahiti (Georgia), Nakhcivan and Karabakh (Azerbaijan) were the first to be conquered. Armenia opened more and more its territories to the Russian forces. Russia’s economic, military and political influence rocketed in Armenia, possibly became higher than the Soviet period. Armenians found another friend in time: Iran. The so-called Islamist Iran supported Armenia in many ways instead of Muslim Azerbaijan in many areas including Karabakh issue.

It is obvious that Armenia is like a ‘neighbor from hell’ in the Caucasus for almost all Caucasian states. However Armenia criticizes Turkey and other neighbors. The Armenian leader argues that “Turkey is not true European”. He asks the EU leaders not to accept Turkey till it recognises the Armenian ‘genocide’ allegations. It is really difficult to understand. How a leader could be so obsessive with the past while the current problems are growing and growing. Armenian politicians should understand that they are not history lecturer or a priest. Real world needs real leaders. All we respect the tragedy Armenians experienced and we expect the same respect for our tragedies. But past is past and we should not sacrifice today for the past or politicians obsessions. Turkey is ready to discuss the historical disputes with Armenia. Ankara declared that it is ready to open the borders with Armenia. However Armenians have taken no concrete step. They just insist on the well-known allegations.

Turkey says ‘economy’, Yerevan says ‘genocide’…

Turkey says ‘security’, Yerevan says ‘genocide’…

Turkey says ‘Karabakh’, Yerevan says ‘genocide’…

Turkey says ‘regional integration’, Armenia says ‘genocide’…

Turkey says ‘co-operation’; Armenia says ‘genocide’…

What Turkey says or makes is not important for the Armenians. Their answer has always been the same: “genocide, genocide, genocide”…

Armenia pushes Turkey’s patient limits. Armenia more needs Turkey and the other neighbors than the region needs Armenia. However the EU leaders strangely and dangerously encourage the Armenians in wrong policies for their short-term interests. The European Parliament President for instance said yesterday that Turkey's recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide and opening of borders with Armenia should become a topic of discussions in Turkey's EU accession talks. There is a strong resistance against Turkey’s full-membership in the EU states and this anti-Turkish groups abuse the Armenian issue to prevent Turkey’s membership. Armenians provide the prefect tool to them, because the Armenian issue has no solution. It is really satisfy Armenian obsessions with the past.

Brussels should to decide whether Armenia or the whole Caucasus is more important for the EU… And Armenia should give up the childish policies like preventing pipeline projects or railways. Armenia should focus on constriction peace, stability and regional economy instead of obsession of prevention or de-constructing.

24 October 2005

Dr. Sedat LACINER
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