Closed border hampers geologists'

Closed border hampers geologists'

Thursday, October 8, 2009

VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

YEREVAN - Hürriyet Daily News

A team of geologists conducting research on volcanic formations and fault lines near the Turkish-Armenian border cannot continue their work on the Turkish side due to the closed border.

“There are no boundaries for science, but we are helpless at the border,” said a leading geologist within the team. “We cannot cover an area only a few meters away at walking distance because of the border problem at the most critical stage of our research,” said professor Chuck Connor, chairman of the University of South Florida and a scholar in the geology department.

The geological analysis, the most extensive ever made in Armenia, started right after the deadly earthquake of Gyumri in 1988, which claimed thousands of lives. Along with international experts, the staff of the Armenian Academy of Scientists has focused on geological inspections in the country.

The geology team does not only inspect volcanic formations, but earthquakes as well. Connor said the fault lines in Armenia extend to Turkey, adding: “Detailed research on the fault lines would clearly reveal the earthquake risks for both countries. But our research is still unfinished.”

Dr. Ivan P. Savov from the University of Leeds School of Earth and Environment agreed with Connor. “In order to have clearer data from the research that we conducted in Armenia, we need to compare results with the ones that we must do in Turkey,” he said.

When asked why they do not carry on their research in Turkey, Savov said: “We have managed to receive funding for the Armenia leg of our research only. This research requires huge funding and we need to employ our time most wisely.”

Julia Crummy, a PhD student from the University of Leeds, said she was unaware of the closed border until she arrived in Armenia. “It is not possible to comprehend or understand closed borders in this age. Problems can only be overcome through dialogue,” Crummy said.

Crummy said that the obstacles in the path of the science team should be removed, adding: “The research projects to be carried out in the two countries would complete each other. This research carries great importance for the future of mankind; therefore it is more important than the border problem.”

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In our sixth ‘Postcards from Armenia,’ the Football Federation in Armenia will be explaining their objections to the so-called “football diplomacy.”