R. Suny: Armenian-Turkish relations can be normalized without Genocide recognition

PanARMENIAN.Net - Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by scholars, the general public, and even officially by governments is an important step towards clearing the air that fouls relations between Armenians and Turks, Armenia and Turkey, Professor of Social and Political History of the University of Michigan Ronald Grigor Suny stated to the PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. He said, efforts to prevent such recognition only pollutes the atmosphere and makes progress in improving relations more difficult. "But this does not mean that official recognition of the Genocide by one or another government should be a prerequisite for discussion, negotiation, or other kinds of relationships. Armenian-Turkish relations can be normalized without official recognition. Indeed, relations can lead to recognition rather than the other way round," Suny noted. At the same time he thinks that opening the Armenian-Turkish border would be a very useful first step to improving relations between the two neighboring countries, it would help the economies of both countries. "Trade can have positive political and social effects. Armenia's official position on Turkish membership in the EU is a sound and correct one: Turkish membership will aid democratization in Turkey and therefore improve the situation for Armenians in Turkey and relations between Turkey and Armenia. However, at the moment Europe is reluctant to open itself to Turkish membership, particularly given the dismal human rights record in Turkey, the repression of the Kurds and other non-Turkish peoples, the murder of Hrant Dink, and the persecutions of Orhan Pamuk, Elif Shafak, and other intellectuals. Turkish democracy and membership in the EU go hand in hand, and as they develop, Turkish-Armenian relations will also be affected positively," Professor Ronald Suny underscored.