The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S4149-S4150 on March 17, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
______
ARMENIA AND TURKEY MOVE TOWARDS RECONCILIATION
Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, occasionally, there is good news. We tend to concentrate on the negative news.
I am on the mailing list for the Armenian Information Service publication, New Watch, and in their March 8, 1995 edition the lead article is an Associated Press story of March 1, 1995 with that title,
``Armenia and Turkey Move Towards Conciliation.''
I hope that turns out to be reality.
That is my hope for the sake of both Armenia and Turkey and stability in the region.
Everyone ends up a winner if this turns out to be true.
I commend the leaders of Armenia and Turkey for moving toward reconciliation.
And I ask that the item be printed in the Record.
The article follows:
Armenia And Turkey Move Towards Conciliation
Turkey and Armenia seem on the verge of opening a new era in their relations. Turkey and Armenia appear willing to normalize ties, basically for mutual economic benefits, despite a history of diplomatic and historical conflict.
``Turkey is ready to contribute to regional peace with confidence-building measures,'' Ferhat Ataman, the foreign ministry spokesman, said in regard to Armenia. He did not elaborate. But a government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Turkey might consider opening its air space to Armenia ``especially after Armenia's recent gestures to please Turkey.'' The official was referring to Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian's decision to close down a major opposition party, the Dashnaks, which demands an apology from Turkey for an alleged genocide and claims territory in eastern Turkey. ``An Armenian envoy told us that Ter-Petrossian and the Armenian people were willing to normalize ties with Turkey,'' Ataman said. Jirair Libaridian, Ter-Petrossian's chief advisor, was in Ankara last week on the invitation of the Foreign Policy Institute, which works closely with the foreign ministry. ``Normalization of ties will be the most natural move,'' Libaridian said then.
The roots of Turkish-Armenian conflict go back 100 years. Armenians accuse the Turks of killing 1.5 million of their people during World War I. Turks say about 300,000 Armenians perished during their deportation as a result of killings, famine or disease.
Although Armenia has suffered more from Turkey closing its borders and airspace, Turkey also feels the pinch. ``My city is suffering a total economic collapse. If we were allowed to have at least limited border trade with Armenia it would provide some sort of relief,'' said Mayor Tuncay Mutluer from the eastern border city of Kars. Ankara has bigger financial concerns at stake. When Washington threw its support behind a pipeline project from Central Asia through Turkey, it pointed to Armenia as a possible route. Glen Rase, director for international energy policy at the U.S. State Department, told a conference in London this week that ``a route through Armenia might well prove to be the most attractive from a foreign policy standpoint if it had the effect of moving Armenia and Azerbaijan closer to peace.''
Turkey's close historical and cultural ties with Azerbaijan remain an obstacle in the process of improving ties with Armenia. Azerbaijan already feels uneasy about a Turkish-Armenian rapprochement. ``It will be a betrayal of Baku,'' said Vefa Gulizade, Azerbaijan's presidential advisor, during a visit to Ankara last week. ``It is necessary to
[[Page S4150]] see the realities rather than being emotional,'' Ataman responded. Turkey rules out diplomatic relations with Armenia unless Azerbaijan's territory is set free. But Ankara apparently feels the pressure from Washington for better relations with Armenia. ``On Turkey-Armenian relations, which are so frayed with history, emotion, misunderstanding and conflicting views of history, our view is very simple Your two countries must work together, must find ways to move on to the future,'' Richard Holbrook, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State, said last month.
____________________
