“There is a big tangle of contradictions in Turkey-European Union relations, starting from the membership issue. The process is protracted for decades, the EU puts forward new conditions for Turkey. Turkey does not recognize Cyprus, and we know that this country is an EU member”, – said historian Armen Marukyan in an interview with Aravot.am, referring to the possible developments in EU-Turkey relations. As described by him, “Ankara, with its geopolitical ambitions, has thrown down the gauntlet to all force players, and the “neo-Ottoman” idea is equally opposed to the EU too.”
Marukyan noted that on the way of Turkey’s accession to the EU, the Kurdish issue is also a serious “tangle”. “Its escalation may have unpredictable consequences. This is a serious problem and we need to keep our finger on the pulse. The developments in Iraqi Kurdistan, the access and now the withdrawal of Turkish troops, the Kurdistan Workers Party activation in Turkey may constitute serious obstacles. It is necessary to closely watch these processes, and also to influence to some extent. It should not be allowed to form an independent Kurdish state in our homeland, in Western Armenia, as a result of this fight, due to which our problem would be complicated ten times more.”
We asked Marukyan what he thinks about the decision of providing 3 billion euros to Turkey by the EU. Note that this EU’s decision intends to impede the flow of refugees to Europe. “This is a temporary decision. Under the migration crisis, Turkey is viewed as a buffer area to take on the flow of migrants. By large, this decision cannot affect Turkey-EU relations, as the available problems in these relations are growing. The massive cases of human rights violations in Turkey are growing, especially against the Kurds,” concluded the historian.
Luisa SUKIASYAN
