TURKEY ANALYSES June 2013 Paving the Way for Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation: A Personal Account BURCU GÜLTEKİN PUNSMANN May 2013 „ „ Only empathy will open the door to reconciliation between Turks and Armenians. „ „ The border opening is key to Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. Geography can provide the tools needed to bridge the historical divide. „ „ The failure of the last attempt at normalizing relations led to a reassertion of the Nagorno-Karabagh condi­tionality. The years ahead will bring the genocide issue at the forefront. „ „ Turkish-Armenian reconciliation is important for the further democratization of Turkish society and the country’s political system. For the time being, there has been no significant change in attitude within Turkish official circles on the Turkish-Armenian issue. „ „ The Kurdish problem is the most powerful driving force behind the progressive redefinition of Turkish citi ­zenship and national identity. Kurds themselves appear ready to engage in a historical reconciliation pro­cess with Armenians.