Expert: Armenian Genocide issue unlikely to become obstacle in Turkey’s way to European Union

YEREVAN, January 27. /ARKA/. Artak Shakaryan, Turkish studies specialists, finds it unlikely that Turkey may be denied membership in European Union for its stance on Armenian Genocide. 

“Turkey will fail to join the European Union until Cyprus problem is solved,” he said adding that the issue of recognition of Armenian genocide several times weaker than the Cyprus trouble. 

Besides, he said, Turkey is not so persistent now in seeking EU membership.

“Justice and Development, Turkey’s ruling party, has been established by small and medium entrepreneurs who were interested in trading with neighboring countries.”

Explaining this, the expert said that these entrepreneurs have no enough strength to produce high-quality goods able to compete at European markets. It will also be difficult to deliver these goods to remote to Turkey markets, such as Paris or Brussels. 

“It is more beneficial to these businessmen to deal with Syria, Egypt, Lebanon or Algeria,” Shakaryan said. “That is why Turkey shifted its attention to the Middle East and Northern Africa.”

He said that the current crisis in Europe add a chill to Turkey’s EU ambitions as well. 

Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century. Turkey denies the accusation of massacres and the killing of one and a half million Armenians during World War I.

The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries, particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S. states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament. -0-