Caspian Report - Issue 06 - Winter 2014
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James Warlick,<br />
Deputy Special<br />
Representative for<br />
Afghanistan and<br />
Pakistan, speaks<br />
during a joint press<br />
conference with<br />
Eklil Hakimi, Afghan<br />
Ambassador to<br />
Washington, at the<br />
Foreign Ministry in<br />
Kabul.<br />
ROVSHAN IBRAHIMOV<br />
88<br />
resolve problems with Armenia and<br />
take confidence-building measures. 6<br />
In order to fully understand Turkey’s<br />
attempt to establish an atmosphere of<br />
trust with Armenia, it is necessary to<br />
define the existing problems between<br />
the two countries.<br />
IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF<br />
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, THE BORDER BETWEEN THE<br />
TWO COUNTRIES WAS OPENED AND TURKEY EVEN<br />
DISPATCHED FOOD AID AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE<br />
DELIVERY OF WESTERN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO<br />
ARMENIA THROUGH ITS TERRITORY.<br />
Conflict between the two sides predates<br />
Armenia’s post-Soviet independence.<br />
Thus the problems that Turkey<br />
sought to resolve extend far beyond<br />
the borders of this small country. This<br />
conflict has both temporal and spatial<br />
aspects. The problems have a historical<br />
background and also go beyond relations<br />
at the intergovernmental level.<br />
The possible development of bilateral<br />
relations also depends on the situation<br />
in the region as a whole. Despite the<br />
fact that Turkey was the first country<br />
to recognise Armenia’s independence<br />
on 16 December 1991 7 , diplomatic<br />
relations between the two countries<br />
have not been established. One of the<br />
reasons for this is Armenia’s demand<br />
that Turkey recognise incidents that<br />
occurred in 1915 in the Ottoman Empire<br />
as an act of genocide committed<br />
against Armenians. This requirement<br />
was reflected in the declaration of independence<br />
of Armenia. According to<br />
paragraph 11 of this declaration: The<br />
Republic of Armenia stands in support<br />
of the task of achieving international<br />
recognition of the 1915 Genocide in<br />
Ottoman Turkey and Western Arme-<br />
6<br />
. Relations between Turkey and Armenia, Official site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Turkey,<br />
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/relations-between-turkey-and-armenia.en.mfa<br />
7<br />
. According to the official Armenian sources, on 24 December 1991, Official site of Ministry of Foreign<br />
Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, http://www.mfa.am/en/country-by-country/tr/.
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