Turkey and Armenia. Even we wish you well

Armenians back Turkey's hopes for a European future

IF THERE was a country in the world that wished the Turks ill, you might think it would be Armenia, where most citizens say their people suffered genocide at the hand of the Ottomans in 1915 - and wish Turkey would admit this. But in fact, Armenians cautiously welcome their neighbour's Euro-success.

Armenia's problems with the Turks are not just historical. Since 1993, the Ankara authorities have sealed the Turkish-Armenian border, in solidarity with their kin in Azerbaijan, part of whose territory is occupied by Armenians.

But people in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, assume that joining Europe will make Turkey change its ways: both its view of history, and its treatment of its neighbours. And the city's weary residents feel they need a break from tough regional realities. An isolated Armenia has had to find partners wherever it can. From Moscow to Los Angeles, the diaspora sends remittances; America's government also gives aid - $75m this year. But for ordinary people, life is hard.

The economy has grown on paper but produces little. In what was once a medium-sized Soviet city, the centre is full of craters where mass housing has been torn down to make flats for rich exiles. In the words of a foreign-ministry adviser, “there is no alternative to getting on with our neighbours.”

Arsen Ghazaryan, who co-chairs an association of Turkish and Armenian businessmen, is frustrated by the blockade. Braving the cost of transit through Georgia or Iran, he says, Turkish businessmen do around $100m worth of trade with Armenia annually. Every summer, thousands of Armenians catch the rays on Turkish beaches. But Mr Ghazaryan thinks of what might be: with its deep ports and vibrant internal market, he sees Turkey as a natural partner.

In their attitude to Turkey, there are differences between local and overseas Armenians. While Armenia's government hails Turkey's breakthrough, many in the diaspora called it an undeserved reward for an unrepentant nation. “It's easy to be principled in the diaspora,” retorts a young woman in Yerevan. “They don't have to live between Turkey and Azerbaijan.”

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