Turkey says accord reached with Armenia on roadmap

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Turkey and Armenia have made solid progress toward reconciliation and reached agreement on a roadmap to normalize ties, a foreign ministry statement said Wednesday. The statement said the two countries have reached a framework agreement to work for a solution that will satisfy both sides. The development came just weeks after President Barack Obama, during a visit here, called on Turkey to reckon with its past, resolve its dispute with Armenia and reopen their shared border. The European Union has also mounted similar pressure on Turkey, which is a candidate for EU membership. Obama's call on this US ally and predominantly Muslim country in early April heated up a public debate over what course Turkey should take in relations with Armenia. Turkey's government had already been working to improve ties with Armenia while facing deep-seated antagonism toward Armenia rooted in WWI-era killings and opposition from nationalists who oppose against concessions. The accord was announced hours after US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised what she described as bold reconciliation efforts between Turkey and Armenia.