Armenian-Turkish relations. A schedule

January 16, 2009

“We have never been so close with Armenia in the process of normalizing relations”, - declares Ali Babajan.

January 22, 2209
The answer of E. Nalbandian followed. “We are too close in the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. We can go further and solve the problems if Turkey will approach the question like Armenia and will open the boarders without any preconditions. After that we will be able to establish a committee and discuss the bilateral issues.”

January 29, 2009
RA President holds talks with the Turkish Prime Minister in Davos.

February 7, 2009
A. Babajan and E. Nalbandyan together with the RA President Serzh Sargsyan hold talks in the 45th summit of Munich’s Security Council.

February 19, 2009
Going forwards to the wave of the criticisms the Turkish Education Ministry makes a decision to stop showing “Sarւ Gelin” film in the schools replaces it with other film, which shows the “real face and of Armenians and the Armenian case”. The film shows the destructions and demolitions realized by the Armenians in Igdir city.

April 7, 2009
The President of the USA B. Obama mentions the following during his visit to Turkey: “Every state should function proceeding from its past, and accepting the past we can make a better future. I know that here many people have a sharp disposition concerning the events of 1915 … but referring to the past Turkey and Armenia can establish more open, constructive relations.

We have already witnessed the determined and bold steps of the Armenian leaders. But the boarders will be returned to the Turkish and Armenian people by the peaceful coexistence. This is the reason why the USA supports the final settlement of the Armenia – Turkish relations.”

April 6-7, 2009
The RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian visits Turkey; during that visit by the mediation of the USA President B. Obama a meeting with A. Babajan took place. An agreement was reached to sign a treaty during Babjan’s visit to Yerevan on April 16, on establishing diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia.

On April 7, in the morning the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Turkey meet each other for discussing the details. A. Babajan mentions that “He does not care about the repercussion of Baku concerning the establishment of diplomatic relations between Yerevan and Ankara. Even more within the last period Baku has lost the role that he could play in the region.”

April 10, 2009
The Prime Minister Erdoghan announced that “Turkey will not sign a final treaty with Armenia as there is no final agreement concerning the NKR issue.” This statement was followed by suchlike repercussions of other ministers and officials of Ankara.

April 14, 2009
Peter Semnebi special representative of the EU for South Caucasus calls to Turkey for opening the boarders with Armenia, highlighting that every step directed to the normalization of the relations and opening the boarders is profitable not only for the two sides, but also for EU.

April 16, 2009
The Turkish Foreign Minister A. Babajan visits Yerevan to participate at the 20th session of the Ministerial Council of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization. The announcement of the RA FM E. Nalbandian follows the session; announcement says that the sides are not going to sign any document: the talks go on; it seems possible to solve the problem in the near future.

April 22, 2009

After the USA mediation and long lasted maneuvers on April 22, at night the FMs of Armenia, Turkey and Switzerland appeared with a joint statement about the road-map of the settlement of the Armenian – Turkish relations.

April 22, 2009
The USA Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes a speech in the US Congress stating that Armenia and Turkey asked for a help from the USA on their way of normalizing relations, and the US President B. Obama is completely supporting that request. The US State Secretary added that opening the boarder will accelerate the smoothening of the sad historical facts and the final settlement of the relations.

April 23, 2009
The official Washington welcomed the steps of Armenia and Turkey and the planning of the “road-map”. At the same time the White House stated that it wishes to see the development of the Armenian-Turkish relations without preconditions.

April 23, 2009
Secretary-General of both the Council of the European Union (EU) and the Western European Union (WEU) and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga welcomes the declaration of the “road map” aimed at normalization of the bilateral relations of Armenia and Turkey. He mentions that it is an important step both for the two countries and Europe as it will serve as a basis for the establishment of stability and security in that difficult region.

April 23, 2009
Bernard Kuchner, the Foreign Minister of France touching upon the “road map” that this step of Armenia and Turkey proves to the world that friendly relations should be established through negotiations. The Armenian – Turkish talks have a special role for the security and peace of whole South Caucasus which is very important for both EU and France. In the same time parallel with the normalization of the relations the NKR conflict settlement should be processed.

April 29, 2009
Russian Federation announced that Russia welcomes all the steps of RA and Turkey: they will change the present status quo and will transform the relations to the constructive platform. At the same time was mentioned that this is the problem of only Yerevan and Ankara, and there can’t be interference of any third side.

May 5, 2009
The RA FM E. Nalbandian meets State Secretary Hillary Clinton during the visit to Washington. Within the issues discussed they touched also upon questions like the Armenian – Turkish relations: The USA State Secretary calls the “road map” a historical document of normalizing the Armenian – Turkish bilateral relations.

May 13, 2009
During his visit to Baku the Prime Minister Erdoghan states that Armenia will stay with the boarders closed as long as will keep the Azerbaijani territories occupied. “There is a cause-effect chain here: The occupation of the Nagorno Karabakh is the cause and the closure of the boarders is the effect.”

May 14, 2009
RA Foreign Minister E. Nalbandian in the meeting with Brian Folly, the UK and Northern Ireland Special Representative to South Caucasus, mentions, referring to the statement of Erdoghan made in the Azerbaijani Parliament, that if Turkey wants to support the NKR conflict settlement, it should not interfere the issue at all. Otherwise its interference can disturb the process.

May 18, 2009
Turkey as well as the foreign press speaks about the Turkish President Gul and the Prime Minister Erdoghan having different opinions about the settlement of the relations with Armenia: if the president is for the opening the boarders, the Prime Minister, on the contrary, is against it.

May 21, 2009
The French embassy in Turkey expresses the disposition of official Paris, according to which France calls to Turkish Government to stay apart from connecting the settlement of Armenian – Turkish relations and opening the boarders with the NKR conflict settlement. Those are completely different questions and France is supporting and welcoming the efforts of Armenia and Turkey for establishing bilateral relations, and in the same time it continues working as a Minsk group co-chair.

June 5, 2009
During his visit to Washington the FM of Turkey Ahmed Davudoghlu stated that the negotiations with Armenia continue. The opening of the boarders till the end of 2009 depends on the negotiation process. The MFA escapes to answer the question whether the NKR issue is a precondition for the settlement of Armenian – Turkish relations. Instead it says: “Our policy is very clear; we wish to see peace and well being in the South Caucasus.”

June 13, 2009
The Turkish MF A. Davudoghlu appeared with a statement according to which for the stability in South Caucasus we need reach the NKR conflict settlement. In this concern Turkey tries to settle the relations with all the neighbors. The relations with Armenia, according to him, influence on its ties with the USA which shouldn’t be like that.

June 17, 2009
In the South Caucasus Peter Semnebi the special representative of the EU for the South Caucasus, stated that Turkey has made a step back from the settlement process conditioned with the inner and sharp repercussions. But the pause shouldn’t be long, otherwise there will be a serious step back.

June 26, 2009
In the meeting of the FMs of the G8 in the Trieste touched also upon the Amenian-Turkish relations mentioning that they completely support the development of cooperation in South Caucasus and the settlement of the Armenian – Turkish relations.

June 30, 2009
On the non official meeting of the OSCE member states FMs in the Greek Korfu Island the Turkish Foreign Minister A. Davudoghlu seizes the opportunity and meets the RA FM E. Nalbandian. He assures that Turkey is determined to settle the relations with Armenia.

July 3, 2009
The RA FM Nalbandian welcoming his Turkish counterpart’s statement that said that Turkey stays faithful to the agreement got with Armenia, reminds in the interview with Dora Bakoyanis, the OSCE acting President, that the agreement including the opening of the boarders without preconditions. Nalbandian also mentions that the process between Armenia and Turkey is not just a dialogue but a negotiation.

July 5, 2009
The situation in Caucasus is being discussed by the Turkish President A. Gul and the US President B. Obama on the phone call. The Turkish President according to the records of the White House, informs the US President about the present condition of the Armenian – Turkish relations.

July 31, 2009
The RA President Serzh Sargsyan mentions during his meeting with the representatives of the Armenian Diaspora that, “In the 21st century we shouldn’t speak by the language of preconditions.” Armenia will not accept any precondition during the regulation of Armenian – Turkish relations. S. Sargsyan also added that the Armenian side has stretched out his hand to Turkey for establishing diplomatic relations, in spite of the historical facts.

July 31, 2009
In the letter directed to the US President B. Obama the US 82 congressmen express their concern about the cessation of Armenian – Turkish relations settlement. The authors of the letter in the same time highlight the constructive disposition and policy of Armenia.

August 21, 2009
In the phone talk with the US State Secretary H. Clinton the RA President S. Sargsyan discussed the regional developments, as well as the Armenian – Turkish relations. In the same time the RA President stated that he will leave for the Football meeting only if, according to the former agreement, the boarder will be open, or the sides will be in that process.

August 29, 2009
The Prime Minister of Turkey and the President of Azerbaijan during the phone talk realized by the initiation of the Turkish side discussed the bilateral relations touching upon the NKR conflict settlement. The Turkish Prime Minister informs I. Aliev about the developments of the relations with Armenia.

August 31, 2009
By the initiation of the US State Secretary H. Clinton there was a phone talk with the Turkish Foreign Minister A. Davudoghlu. The main and the only question discussed was the Armenian – Turkish relations.

August 31, 2009
According to the statements of the Armenian, Turkish FMs and Swiss Confederation Armenia and Turkey had reached an agreement to launch inner discussions over the following records: “A record about establishing diplomatic relations”, and “A record about developing the bilateral relations”. The process will go on for 6 weeks, after which the sides will sign the mentioned above documents, presenting them to the verification of the Parliament.

September 1, 2009
The Turkish Foreign Minister A. Davudoghlu informs in his phone talk with the RF Foreign Minister S. Lavrov about Armenian-Turkish last developments and asked the latter to accelerate the steps directed to the NKR conflict settlement for establishing stability and security in Caucuses.

September 1, 2009
The Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation appears with the official statement, according which Russia welcomes and accepts the steps undertaken by Armenia and Turkey and expresses its positive opinion about the 2 records.

September 2, 2009
The Turkish Foreign Minister A. Davudoghlu informs that soon active developments are expected on the Armenian – Turkish platform. The meetings of the Turkish and Armenian delegations have already been held in Heybeliada Island. But as Erdoghan mentions the records have no force and will not have if the parliaments will not verify them.