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Armenia dreams of illusions about normalization of relations with Turkey

08 January 2019 [17:07] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Armenia continues to live in a world of illusions. They hope, dream and build something mythical, far from reality.

Local media reports urge that the new leadership of Armenia has repeatedly stated its readiness to normalize relations with Turkey, but without preconditions. Moreover, they express disappointment that these statements do not yet meet with the necessary understanding from the part of Turkey.

The situation in the Armenian-Turkish relations did not change in 2018. The two bordering countries practically lack any relations, apart from several tens of thousands of labor migrants from Armenia working in Turkey, as well as the activities of Armenian shuttle traders.

They remind that in March 2008, then-President Serzh Sargsyan announced the denunciation of protocols on the normalization of relations signed in Zurich. Sargsyan’s decision was a mere formality.

However, after the change of power in Armenia, its new leadership, in particular, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan repeatedly stated their readiness to normalize relations without preconditions. In respond, Turkey continues to insist on resolving the Karabakh conflict and abondon territirial claims, naming it as a priority condition to open the border.

Despite the absence of a reason for optimism, Turkologist Varouzhan Geghamian believes that Armenia can and should work in several directions for a dialogue with Ankara. He considers that "velvet" revolution in Armenia is a good opportunity to win over those political forces and groups in Turkey that are most disadvantaged by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In fact, Armenian expert proposes to negotiate with the Turkish groups, which are aimed at shaking the Turkish state foundations, and who do not like the growing power and authority of this country.

Turkey, in the person of state and government officials, always declares that the normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia is impossible until Armenia withdraws from Azerbaijani lands.

At the same time, it is especially emphasized that Armenia occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands and committed the Khojaly genocide. The Turkish side is ready to support any formula of Azerbaijan on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

Ankara has repeatedly complained that, first, this issue has already accepted the status of a frozen conflict, and has repeatedly stated that this situation needs to change. And secondly, the solution of this problem would strengthen the activities of Turkey itself in the South Caucasus, which in this case, would become a region of stability and cooperation.

So, the opinion of some Armenian experts is nothing but low-grade populism, which in such serious matters is simply unacceptable. After all, the Karabakh issue is considered to be a solution to geopolitical tasks in the region as a whole, and concerning Armenian-Turkish relations in particular.

The Karabakh conflict has long become an element of geopolitical confrontation in the South Caucasus. Turkey broke off relations and closed the borders precisely because of the occupation policy of Armenia towards Azerbaijan. Ankara has repeatedly stated that the Karabakh issue should be resolved within the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and it will do everything possible to achieve peace in the region. Armenia must put an end to the occupation to release the region from tensions.

Secondly, Ankara has repeatedly accused Armenia of insincerity, when in the past, during the process of normalization of relations, Yerevan raised the topic of the so-called "genocide".

Even opening the borders and establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia, even if Ankara “forgets” Karabakh problem, Turkey’s problems with this country will not end, but, on the contrary, they will move to another level. Armenia and the Armenian diaspora have a long list of claims against Turkey, which will be enough for Ankara to wind its nerves for decades. Yerevan will hardly require the diaspora to renounce the international recognition of the "Armenian genocide" in the Ottoman Empire. In addition, this recognition is one of the components of the national security strategy of Armenia.

By the way, a serious discussion about the amount of the sum that must be demanded from Turkey as compensation for the "genocide" is still ongoing.

And finally, the process of establishing Armenian-Turkish relations is impossible without taking into account the interests of Azerbaijan, which has developed and is consistently implementing a strategy that relies on its own capacities and geopolitical position.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/177851.html

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