[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 139 (Friday, September 8, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13133-S13134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


             IMPROVED RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA

  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, sometimes the good news that we get comes 
in small pieces that we hope portend better things to come.
  The recent agreement between Turkey and Armenia for an air corridor 
is a small step toward improved relations between those two countries 
but, nevertheless, it is a positive development. It would be a mistake 
to exaggerate it, but it would be a mistake to ignore it.
  I noticed that when Prime Minister Tansu Ciller visited Azerbaijan, 
she returned to Turkey by way of the corridor over Armenia and was the 
first high-ranking Turkish official to use the air corridor. While she 
traveled, she congratulated Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian on 
the victory of his party in the July 5th parliamentary elections in 
Turkey.
  These concessions seems small, indeed, and they are small. But I hope 
they can result in improvements.
  I recall, about 2 years ago, flying in a U.S. military plane to 
Armenia. The Turkish Government would not let us fly over Turkey to go 
to Armenia--

[[Page S 13134]]
strange conduct on the part of a government that has been helped in a 
substantial way over the years by the United States.
  It was an action taken that was not so much adverse to the United 
States as adverse to Armenia.
  In noting this step forward in better relations between Turkey and 
Armenia, it must also be noted with regret that Turkish President 
Suleyman Demirel refuses to use the corridor over Armenia.
  I hope he can overcome his fears or his hatreds enough to do that one 
of these days.
  And I hope the use of the air corridor over Armenia by the Turkish 
Prime Minister will be followed with more significant actions by Turkey 
and Armenia.


                          ____________________