1.  Article | 12/06/2007

Turkey: a divided country

Do the Europeans really understand what the fighting in Turkey at the moment is all about, or are they blind in their judgment of the current political developments? Günter Seufert with voices from the Bosporus. » more

Détente between Turkey and Armenia is a signal to the EU

Following Swiss mediation the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia on Saturday signed two protocols dealing with their bilateral relations. The protocols must now be ratified by the two countries' parliaments. In the left-liberal daily Berliner Zeitung Günter Seufert warns that Europe cannot afford to ignore this signal: "If the country opens its borders to Armenia this also sends an important signal to the EU: the normalisation of diplomatic relations with Yerevan is a clear sign that Turkey has adopted a completely new course in foreign policy. It has changed from a frontier state that during the Cold War was at dispute with all its neighbours to become a regional force of peace. It's just a pity that at a time when Turkey is enacting its most sensible policies in years France and Germany are seriously calling Turkey's EU membership into question, and thus weakening the EU in a region that is so important for Europe."

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