Joseph Knollenberg: Before Entering EU Turkey Must Respect Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Turkey must fulfill its commitments and gain economic, political and regional progress for entering EU," yesterday in the House of Representatives stated Joseph Knollenberg, the Co-Chair of Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. In his words, it is a well-known fact that the regional policy of Turkey causes strain in the South Caucasus region and unfairly harms the welfare of their neighbor country, Armenia. "The European Union has repeatedly called for the Turkish Blockade of Armenia to cease as well as normalization of relations between the countries. These two pre-conditions to entering the EU have been blatantly ignored by Turkey. The blockade, now in its thirteenth year, is the only blockade of a fellow Council of Europe state, and is simply unacceptable. I implore the EU to stand firm in their recommendations to Turkey in order to ensure these unfair economic practices are eliminated," Knollenberg said.



In his words, Armenia is a friend of the United States; "they are a friend to many countries throughout the world. Yet, Turkey refuses to see the good Armenia brings to the South Caucasus region. This refusal has led to fierce tension within the region, as well as unjust economic outcomes that only harm Armenia. Before Turkey can become a member of the European Union, they must first acknowledge their mistakes, foster cooperation in the South Caucasus region, and respect their neighbor, Armenia." "I encourage the European Parliament to consider the ramifications of Turkey's actions before granting them membership to the EU. The purpose of the European Union is to create cooperation between nations with similar interests. Turkey, with a history of bullying nations does not belong in this membership until they change their ways," stated Joseph Knollenberg, the Co-Chair of Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.