ESI analyst on Turkey-EU relations in Armenia

Nigar Göksel was in Yerevan November 27 to 30, as a guest of the Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation. She participated in a roundtable discussion at the Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building Center in Armenia, held meetings in the Foreign Ministry and with the Armenian National Movement leadership.

Nigar gave two conference presentations, one to an audience of young people on ''European Values and European Integration. Perspectives of the Development of Armenian-Turkish Relations in the Context of European Integration'' at a joint event with the British Embassy on November 28th, and the other one jointly organized with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung on EU Enlargement as it relates to security in the Caucasus (November 29th). She joined the live TV program of Petros Ghazaryan and gave an interview to Aram Abrahamyan from Aravot newspaper.

In her presentations and discussions Nigar explained how Turkey has been transforming since 2000 and what could be expected from the process ahead. Drawing on the experiences of other candidate countries, Nigar outlined the importance of the EU accession process for Turkey, argued against the assumption that Turkey's membership was a lost cause, and touched upon likely the implications of the accession process on Turkey's relations with Armenia. The empowerment of the more liberal and moderate circles in the domestic scene in Turkey naturally translates into more constructive relations with neighbors.

Because exchanges between Armenian and Turkish counterparts are relatively rare, such opportunities to overcome mutual misconceptions are important.