Turkey, Armenia edge towards peace deal

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Hours after Turkey and Armenia announced a tentative, Swiss-mediated peace deal, opposition politicians in Turkey were blasting the proposal.

The plan would normalize relations and open the common border between the two neighbors.

Political analysts warn that there are still immense hurdles left, before Armenians and Turks can overcome nearly a century of bad blood and re-open a border that has been sealed shut for more then fifteen years.

In a joint press statement released late Monday night, Switzerland, Armenia and Turkey announced they had agreed to start six weeks of "internal political consultations" on two protocols, aimed at establishing diplomatic and bilateral relations.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/09/01/turkey.armenia.talks/

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1. This could be

a ploy for Turkey to enter into the EU. However, I think that the two countries, for the most part, are ready to move forward and rebuild a relationship.

[shaayecanaan]

2. A good piece about this in foreign policy.com

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/10/09/turkeys_guilty_conscience

It seems like a horse trade to me:- the Armenians won't insist that Turkey acknowledge the genocide, and Turkey will essentially accept the status quo in Karabakh.

Everyone's a winner (except the Azeris).