Cyprus problem that stands on the way of Turkey through EU seems like to be solved within 5 months. On the other hand, we are at the bottom of the latter for the Armenian issue which turned into a 100 years old blood feud.
There are two big problems that poison the relations of Turkey with the Westerner World since 80 years. The first is Cyprus problem. And the second is Armenian issue. Several politicians struggled to solve the Cyprus issue which turned into an obstacle for Turkey as Greeks were burning with the dreams of ’Enosis’. Fatih Rustu Zorlu, Rauf Denktaş, Bulent Ecevit and Suleyman Demirel all tried different methods but they could not break off the chains of Cyprus. Recently Erdogan tried to break the chains off by seeking a rapprochement with EU and UN but it was again not successul. And Cyprus went on to be an obstacle for Turkey’s EU membership. But it seems that chains will be broken off within five months. There will be an agreement under EU or on a new plan. Or the way will be paved for seperation of Turkish and Greek people of the Island. So, Cyprus will be the first examination for the future of Turkey’s relations with the West.
And the second examination will be on Armenian issue. Why? Because a new period started in the 100 years old blood feud. In this new period, there is chaos and even earthquake in the Armenian World. On the other hand, Armenian world is not different than earlier. Armenian diaspora is still spitting fire. They are accusing Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan of betrayal because he agreed on establishment of committee of historians to make researches on 1915 events. But more important than that, there is astonishment in Canada which had surrendered to Armenian diaspora since Colonel Atilla Altikat assassination in Ottowa in 1982. They do not know what to do. At one of the sides, there is Turkey, ally of Canada in NATO, which officially protests Canada since the murder of Altikat. And at the other side, strong Armenian diaspora which knocks the doors of Canadian politicians.
The most interesting statement i heard was the one made by Canadian Minister of Defence Peter Mackay. Mackay was the rival of Rasmussen for General Secretariat of NATO, but he could not win. Maybe Erdogan should have supported Mackay instead of protesting Rasmussen’s candidacy. Why? Because Mackay is maybe the only Canadian minister that does not surrender to Armenian diaspora. When i asked Mackay about the parliamentary decision of Canada on 1915 events, he said, “I was against the decision. We went so far with that.” He said that he supports the process of rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia.
Briefly, Turkey’s peaceful policy created cracks in the Armenian World. The earthquake that emerged in Armenian world may help Turkey to break off the Armenian chain.
