Anna Nazaryan
The European Commission has released the annual progress report on Turkey’s bid to join the European Union. According to expert of Turkish studies Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, the report is generally positive for Turkey. Instead, the Armenian side has what to think about.
If before 2009 the European Commission was accusing Turkey for keeping the Armenia border closed, it has been making reference to the Armenian-Turkish protocols ever since.
Vahram Ter-Tadevosyan says Armenia should take certain steps to present the picture from a different viewpoint. “The protocols helped soften the reports on Turkey. It’s necessary to work to restore the previous wording,” he says. Besides, this year the report fails to mention about hidden Armenians.
The European Commission criticizes the disproportionate reaction of the Turkish authorities to the events in Gezi Park. There is also sharp criticism related to the Cyprus issue.
Although the report makes no mention of the Armenian Genocide, Ankara is doing work in this direction. On the threshold of 2015 Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu calls Turkish Ambassadors in different countries to give special directives on how to prepare for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
In general, it’s still untimely to speak about Turkey’s accession to the EU, Vahram Ter-Sahakyan says.
