Today.Az » Politics » Armenian expert: Armenian-Turkish dialogue has finally reached an impasse
25 January 2010 [14:46] - Today.Az
Day.Az interview with Armenian expert, chairman of the Caucasus Center for Peacekeeping Initiatives Geori Vanyan.
In response to Armenian Constitutional Court’s (CC) endorsing the Armenian-Turkish protocols, the country's opposition said that this is the first step towards overthrowing the government. What, in your opinion, further action will the Armenian opposition take?
It would be misleading to consider the Armenian-Turkish relations in the context of confrontation between power and opposition in Armenia in the classic political perception. Armenia's problems with the neighboring countries, in particular, process of establishing relations with Turkey are not absolutely linked, to be exact, they have nothing to do with authority-opposition problem.
An art of juggling that may seem beautiful and wonderful in a circus may seem equally vulgar on our political arena where architects of war in state, political and public uniforms consistently ensure their own welfare and prosperity.
The process of the Armenian-Turkish normalization as well as all other political processes in Armenia will be self-deception for some and demagoguery, providing necessities of life, for others. It seems that the ability to take what is going on seriously forever leaves the people living in an atmosphere of hostility and like-mindedness for many years.
In 1988, the communist authorities in Armenia has inherited "Karabakh" Committee from Moscow and to this day Armenian authorities have the "Karabakh" Committee as a separate project of the Armenian Revolutionary Faction supported by the very Moscow. This committee has a democratic form and national-socialist content and its leaders consistently come to power or take posts in the opposition as a result of replacements. Both the state and those who are in opposition, according to the conjuncture, by turns, sometimes acts as a reformist or reactionary, liberal democrats or nationalists.
Will there be a change of power in Armenia? This is an unimportant issue on this backdrop.
What will be Turkey's response the Armenian Constitutional Court decision given that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while visiting Russia, once again linked opening the Armenian-Turkish border with withdrawal of Armenian troops from Nagorno-Karabakh?
The protocol of decision of the Armenian Constitutional Court states that the provisions of the Protocol on the Development of Relations between Armenia and the Republic of Turkey cannot be interpreted or applied contrary to the 11th paragraph of the Declaration of Independence of Armenia in the legislative and enforcement practice of Armenia, as well as in interstate relations. This paragraph reads: "The Republic of Armenia stands for international recognition of "Armenian genocide" of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey and Western Armenia." No matter what steps Turkey will take, process of the Armenian-Turkish dialogue has finally reached an impasse.
In your opinion, what steps will the Armenian leadership take to overcome the desperate situation? Will it make concessions in the Karabakh issue?
Armenia retains the status of formal sovereignty as it has not taken any steps to resolve the conflict with Azerbaijan. In this context, the failure of soccer diplomacy and protocols may not have serious consequences. As to the concessions imposed on Armenia, they are possible at any stage, but can only lead to an escalation of the conflict. Unfortunately, there has been no process of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict so far. Unfortunately, a war that will not be surmounted by the heroism of the Kalashnikov remains on the agenda.
Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian president are going to hold a trilateral meeting today. What are your expectations from this meeting?
I have only one expectation - new processes in societies which can be stimulated by a number of failures and a critical mass of futile political maneuvers. In fact what were the Armenian-Turkish protocols which parked so much fuss in Armenia and Azerbaijan?
Here is an analogy with the activities of NGOs, where NGOs write pretty ambitious project, get approval and a grant from sponsors, but and suddenly many sensitive things and insurmountable obstacles appear in the process of realization. And as a result, the thing which was not intended, something that only superficially resembles the draft is implemented.. So, it was the case with the protocols that caused a noise to fill the vacuum around the Minsk Group ... and the excitement still continues.
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