ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE BECAME BARGAIN OBJECT

[MosJan]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE BECAME BARGAIN OBJECT

As it was supposed the European Parliament (EP) dropped out the Armenian genocide demand as a precondition for Turkey’s progress towards European Union (EU) accession.

 

 

Turkish political circles responded to this immediately- considering this a serious success for official Ankara in EU-Turkey relations. Among the respondents was Ortadoghu University professor Husein Bagci. In the live broadcast of Turkish state TV channel on October 26 he ascribed the rejection of the provision to the efficiency of Ankara’s efforts, considered it a concession and added that the concession was expected.

 

 

We, Armenians, in our turn hoped that in case of the provision’s rejection the EP would draw forward another precondition instead of the genocide recognition. Yes, this rejection doesn’t help Turkey much in his progress towards accession, for, as Bagci himself noted, EU demands concession form Turkey in the Cyprus issue in this respect.

 

 

The important thing here is not the demand itself but the policy of EU towards Turkey. In the bases of this policy lies the following- to always hinder the accession process of Turkey towards EU with a term that Turkey is not estranged from Europe. That is, when drawing forward a precondition to Turkey the European countries don’t come out form the necessity of solving an issue, but from task of hindering Turkey’s EU accession. So EU simply changes the preconditions of Turkey’s accession- actually keeping the obstacles unchanged.

 

 

EP now puts the stress on the Cyprus issue because there is a notable tension here, and the Armenian genocide is, most probably for some time, left aside. And when the Cyprus issue loses its urgency Europe will probably replace it with Kurdish problem, and so on.

 

 

This is of course a general approach. The Armenian Genocide precondition was dropped because USA wanted so. There is another thing here. Europe wants to form European quick reaction forces, which goes counter to USA’s interests, as far as it doesn’t want to see any alternative for NATO. Turkey is the representative of USA in Europe and fully supports the latter. In this situation Europe drops the Armenian Genocide issue and starts to speculate the Cyprus issue, using it as an object of bargain between itself and Turkey so that the latter doesn’t oppose the formulation of European quick reaction forces.

 

 

Taking into consideration another fact that USA promised to help Turkey in its progress towards EU accession if it helps USA in the Afghan war, and Turkey of course agreed, then it is obvious that US government implements certain pressure on European countries concerning Armenian Genocide.

 

 

And most evidently the European countries rejected the provision on considering the Armenian genocide a precondition for Turkey’s progress towards EU accession– not willing to oppose the USA. So the rejection of Armenian genocide provision was not the result of Turkish diplomacy’s brilliant work, as they claim, but again, as it has always been, the game of super powers.

 

 

By Hagop Chakrian

 

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