Armenian-Turkish economic ties may progress only after political moves to normalize relations: TABDC cochairman says
22.11.2011,
23:40
Armenian-Turkish trade and economic relations can make serious progress only after the leaderships of both countries make political steps towards normalization of strained relations between the two nations, Noyan Soyak, the Turkish cochairman of the Turki
YEREVAN, November 22. /ARKA/. Armenian-Turkish trade and economic relations can make serious progress only after the leaderships of both countries make political steps towards normalization of strained relations between the two nations, Noyan Soyak, the Turkish cochairman of the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC), told Armenian journalists today.
Noyan Soyak heads a delegation of over 50 Turkish business people participating in the second Armenian-Turkish business forum in Yerevan.
According to him, Turkey accounts for 99 percent in the Armenian-Turkish trade. Soyak said because of closed borders the border towns are the first to suffer.
"It takes a couple of hours to fly from Istanbul to Yerevan and more than 12 hours to travel from Van, Mush or Kars , which, of course, does not contribute to the development of trade relations,’ he added.
TABDC co-chairman said Armenian-Turkish trade relations now embrace mainly small and medium businesses, whose representatives in Turkey do not wield much influence and therefore are unable to influence the political authorities of the country.
Soyak said after the reopening of the borders the two countries should develop economic relations primarily in the energy sector.
"For example, Armenia can buy energy resources from the Caspian Sea, transform it into electricity and sell it to Turkey," he said.
The forum is organized by the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Armenia with collaboration with USAID as part of a two-year project designed to promote Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. A similar gathering will be organized in 2012 October in Turkey. The partner in the joint forum is the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC). Armenian and Turkish business structures, including associations of women entrepreneurs, will sign several memoranda on cooperation.
Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for its ally, Azerbaijan, which had a dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan. There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of normal relations between the two countries, particularly, Ankara’s blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass killings of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire as genocide. -0-
Noyan Soyak heads a delegation of over 50 Turkish business people participating in the second Armenian-Turkish business forum in Yerevan.
According to him, Turkey accounts for 99 percent in the Armenian-Turkish trade. Soyak said because of closed borders the border towns are the first to suffer.
"It takes a couple of hours to fly from Istanbul to Yerevan and more than 12 hours to travel from Van, Mush or Kars , which, of course, does not contribute to the development of trade relations,’ he added.
TABDC co-chairman said Armenian-Turkish trade relations now embrace mainly small and medium businesses, whose representatives in Turkey do not wield much influence and therefore are unable to influence the political authorities of the country.
Soyak said after the reopening of the borders the two countries should develop economic relations primarily in the energy sector.
"For example, Armenia can buy energy resources from the Caspian Sea, transform it into electricity and sell it to Turkey," he said.
The forum is organized by the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Armenia with collaboration with USAID as part of a two-year project designed to promote Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. A similar gathering will be organized in 2012 October in Turkey. The partner in the joint forum is the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC). Armenian and Turkish business structures, including associations of women entrepreneurs, will sign several memoranda on cooperation.
Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for its ally, Azerbaijan, which had a dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan. There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of normal relations between the two countries, particularly, Ankara’s blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass killings of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire as genocide. -0-
