Today.Az » World news » CHP ready to negotiate with Armenia without any preconditions
22 June 2011 [11:20] - Today.Az
Turkey’s ruling and main opposition parties are ready to normalize relations with Armenia and open the border, but the two are on conflicting sides of the debate over preconditions for negotiations.
“We are ready to negotiate with Armenians without preconditions,” Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, told a group Turkish, Armenian and U.S. journalists late Monday. The statement in response to a question from a U.S. journalist who said the CHP’s policy regarding ties with Armenia was not different from that of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, as both parties were putting Armenia’s withdrawal from disputed Nagorno-Karabakh as a condition.
“The difference between us and the AKP is that we see a possible withdrawal as a gesture, not a condition,” said Osman Korutürk, deputy leader of the CHP and former ambassador. Kılıçdaroğlu added: “No one can say that I agreed with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on this issue.”
Meanwhile, speaking to a group of Turkish and Armenian journalists in a separate program, State Minister and Chief EU Negotiator Egeman Bağış said Turkey and Armenia had the chance to work together in order to prevent people, nations and countries from suffering more in the future. “The closed Turkey-Armenia border can be opened the day after Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on Nagorno Karabakh,” he said.
Bagis said Turkey wants zero problems with its neighbors and wants its neighbors to have zero problems with their neighbors, too.
“We want a permanent solution between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” said Bagis, adding that if they reached a solution, many opportunities would arise in the region and it would be to the interest of all countries.
Asked when the border between Turkey and Armenia could be opened, Bagis said that he thought it would be opened one day after Armenia and Azerbaijan shook hands.
More neighbors, more problems
Main opposition leader Kılıçdaroğlu also hit out at the government’s “zero problems with neighbors” policy, overtly talking about multi-problems with neighbors with the developments now unfolding in Syria.
“They set out with the slogan of zero problems with our neighbors. There is no situation of zero problems with any of our neighbors,” said Kılıçdaroğlu late Monday.
“We have multiple problems with our neighbors. Now no neighbor is left without any problem. Syria was the one we had the least problems and now you see the situation,” said Kılıçdaroğlu.
He listed the areas of conflicts with Turkey’s neighbors. “We were supposed to be a so-called mediator for a settlement to Iran’s nuclear dispute. Brazil was there and we were left alone,” said the party leader.
“The problems with Iraq continue as it was before. The relations with the European Union were good in the first term of the AKP government but in the second term, they were entirely suspended. We couldn’t overcome any problem. As the CHP we are placing importance on EU ties. We believe determined efforts need to be exerted for full membership.”
Kılıçdaroğlu confessed that the CHP could not make a radical criticism of the AKP’s foreign policy during the election campaign.
“The reason for this, however, foreign policy is directly the problem of ordinary people but we criticize if any questions are asked to me about foreign policy during newspaper interviews and TV programs,” he said.
‘Media under pressure’
The CHP leader hinted at serious zigzags in the AKP’s foreign policy.
“For example, (the prime minister) first said what business NATO has in Libya and the next day we sent war ships to NATO. The problem is this. The Turkish media is under pressure,” argued Kılıçdaroğlu.
“AKP cannot be criticized by the media. If it is criticized, they are either shut down or jailed. The AKP introduces this as progressive democracy.”
Asked if the CHP comes to power, it would direct toward the EU or make a synthesis of the East and the West, the CHP leader said: “We are placing importance to our relations with the EU but we cannot ignore Russia, China and India. The balances in the world are changing. There is a need for principled and healthy policy in compliance with changing balances.”
Syria unrest
The CHP leader said his party was closely following the unrest in Syria.
“But we are receiving contradictory information from the opposition and pro-government people. We believe that democracy and freedom should come to the Middle East, not through outside pressure but the countries’ internal dynamics,” said Kılıçdaroğlu.
“The media and intellectuals in those countries should be supported… For the emergence of such pressure, the United Nations should be involved more than NATO.”
Libya strife
The CHP leader also criticized the transfer of 54 billion dollar fund to the use of the opposition.
“I would really like to learn the answer of this question. 54 billion dollars money were put in the European banks much before Qaddafi was there as a dictator in those days. Why then this money was accepted to the European banks?” he asked.
“And now Libya has been divided into two. I wonder if dividing this country into two through armed interference from outside will bring democracy and freedom to this country.”
/Hurriyet Daily News/
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