TWO CONDITIONS TO YEREVAN FROM ECEVIT

[Berj]

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg33066.html

 

TWO CONDITIONS TO YEREVAN FROM ECEVIT

 

Anadolu News Agency

07 June, 2001

 

CUMHURIYET (LEFT)

 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit

that the tense relations between Turkey and Armenia should be normalized for

settlement of stability in Caucasus. After such a request, Ecevit said that

there were two important conditions for setting up diplomatic relations

between two neighboring countries: 1- Armenia should completely withdraw

from Upper Artsax and 2- A safe corridor should be opened between

Nakhichevan and Azerbaijan.

 

 

AZG Daily #104, 06/07/2001

Geopolitics

MEGHRI POPULATION AGAINST OPENING MEGHRI CORRIDOR

 

 

The heads of town and village communities in the Armenian region of

Meghri, located upon the borders with Iran, issued a joint statement

on Tuesday, which says that the local population is against opening

a corridor through Meghri region that would supposedly link Azerbaijan

with its exclave Nakhichevan. The statement says that an option implying

opening of such a corridor in exchange for Lachin corridor linking

Karabagh with Armenia is being considered in the negotiation process

of Karabagh regulation.

 

The signatories say they are for the peaceful regulation of the

conflict,

based on mutual compromises, as well as for opening of the region

communication

routes, but warn against inadmissibility of opening Meghri corridor

and deployment of peace-keeping forces in Meghri.

 

The statement also says that opening of such a corridor will not help

regulation of Karabagh conflict, but on the contrary, will threaten

Armenia's security and sovereignty.

[Guest]

I still don't understand how they can give up a corridor while the example of Kosovo is still fresh in our memories...Serbs driven into exile before the eyes of International Peacekeepers. Are we going to see the same scenario in Armenia?

[Paul bunyan]

You just can't trust the American government. there should be very little contact with turky. the turk businessman wants to open the border to do business

with Armenians Iranian style Armenians buy all their stuff, and the turk buys very little of Armenian wares.

[Berj]

Armenian minister slams Turkey's "absurd" preconditions for ties

 

Mediamax

13 June 2001

 

Yerevan -- Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan on Wednesday

attacked recent remarks by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on

the future establishment of ties between the two countries was

"unacceptable and absurd", Armenian news agency Mediamax reported.

 

Oskanyan was commenting on Ecevit's statement at a meeting with US

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last week in which he set two

conditions for diplomatic relations with Yerevan.

 

According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, these were that

Armenia should "unreservedly, unconditionally and completely pull

out of Nagornyy Artsax, which it is occupying", and to open a

secure corridor between Nakhichevan and Azerbaijan.

 

"Turkey's preconditions involving Armenia's relations with other

countries is categorically unacceptable to us. The press might

have distorted Ecevit's statement, as otherwise it is absurd and

contradicts international norms," Oskanyan said.

[Berj]

Turkish envoy says Naxcivan should be linked to Azerbaijan proper

 

Azerbaijani TV station ANS

13 June 2001

 

BAKU -- [Presenter] Relations between Ankara and Yerevan were also

discussed during US Secretary of Defence Donald H. Rumsfeld's

visit to Turkey last week. We should recall that official Ankara

said that it would restore relations with Yerevan under two

conditions: first, Armenia should take the so-called Armenian

genocide off its political agenda; second, Armenian armed forces

should withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Turkish

diplomats put forward another condition during the talks with the

head of Pentagon, Donald H Rumsfeld: a corridor between Azerbaijan

and Naxcivan [Azerbaijani exclave] should be opened and the

security of this corridor ensured. The Turkish ambassador to

Azerbaijan, Kadri Ecvet Tezcan, commented on Ankara's new

condition:

 

[Tezcan in Turkish, captioned as Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan]

As you know, Turkey is not a cochairman of the Minsk Group, but it

is a member of this body. Turkey is closely involved in this

[Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict] issue. We are closely involved in

this issue, first of all because of Azerbaijan and Turkey's love

for the Azerbaijani people, and second, because of international

laws. Turkey cannot accept the occupation of the territories of

one country by another one.

 

You asked about the third condition. I cannot imagine Azerbaijan's

Naxcivan separated from the main part of Azerbaijan. Also,

everybody remembers that the so-called region of Megri was

Azerbaijani land some time ago. This region was given to Armenia

during Soviet times and consequently Naxcivan and Azerbaijan were

separated. That is why these two parts should be linked if any

kind of peace is established. This is our opinion. However, it is

another question whether or not the Armenians will accept this.

But it is certain that normal relations are not possible with

Armenia as long as this country holds the territory of other

countries under occupation.

[Guest]

from that I understand that armenian land is very cheap for turks while Turkey doesn't want to concede even 1 square meter of land...