[BRIEF NOTE] On the possible establishment of Turkish-Armenian ties

[rfmcdonald]

Wikipedia's quite correct in concluding in its detailed assessment of Turkish-Armenian relations that they're quite tense, notwithstanding the actual lack of direct relations, with issues like the Armenian genocide and the conflicts around Nagorno Karabakh. But now, it seems that the two countries are quite close to opening up official bilateral ties.

Hours after Turkey and Armenia announced a tentative, Swiss-mediated peace deal, opposition politicians in Turkey were blasting the proposal.

The plan would normalize relations and open the common border between the two neighbors.

Political analysts warn that there are still immense hurdles left, before Armenians and Turks can overcome nearly a century of bad blood and re-open a border that has been sealed shut for more then fifteen years.

In a joint press statement released late Monday night, Switzerland, Armenia and Turkey announced they had agreed to start six weeks of "internal political consultations" on two protocols, aimed at establishing diplomatic and bilateral relations.

"The protocol can be signed in six weeks, ratified by the parliament completing the process there and come into force," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, in an interview to Turkey's NTV news station. "However it is not known how long the approval process would be."

Doug Merrill at A Fistful of Euros notes that all this was made possible by the soccer diplomacy of 2008, when FIFA set up a game between the Turkish and Armenian teams in Yerevan and the Armenian president invited his Turkish counterpart to come watch the spectacle. This deal may yet be torpedoes by opposition in both parliaments, but here's to hoping.