ARMENIAN PUBLIC REMAINS DIVIDED ON RELATIONS WITH TURKEY
Today’s Zaman
Sept 2 2009
Turkey
While the government and its close circles seek to further normalize
relations with Turkey, Armenian opposition groups are distancing
themselves from the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations,
claiming that Armenia will lose its dignity and position.
Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Alexander Iskandarian, director of the
Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute, said Turkish-Armenian rapprochement
should be evaluated at different levels of society. "Armenian
government and pro-government forces," Iskandarian noted, "are very
much supportive of the initiative. They believe this is a huge step
forward in Armenian foreign policy." Talking about the opposition,
Iskandarian was pessimistic, saying he does not expect it to lend its
hand to bolster the initiative with Turkey. "The Armenian opposition is
against relations between the two countries — its sole reason being
that they are in the opposition and need to criticize." Speculating
about views held by the Armenian public, the Armenian expert said
it is too early to say how the Armenian public will see the latest
initiative.
Speaking to a local TV station in Armenia on Monday, Artyom Yerkanian,
an Armenian political expert, suggested that the agreement to establish
ties could be signed at an October soccer match between the two
countries to be held in Turkey. Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited
Armenia in September 2008 to attend a soccer match between Turkey
and Armenia, a move that has since been dubbed "soccer diplomacy."
Armenian political expert and Caucasus Institute Deputy Director
Sergey Minasyan spoke with the Azerbaijani Internet news portal Day.Az
on protocols and bilateral relations between the two countries. The
Armenian expert said, "Protocols made public by Armenia and Turkey
first of all point to a new stage in the process of normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations and the willingness of the parties to
continue the process, regardless of the complexity of the regional
context."
Richard Giragosian, head of the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies (ACNIS), said, "Clearly, the recent increased
diplomatic and political activity over the new Turkish-Armenian
‘protocols’ have brought a new sense of expectations and pressure
on all sides." Stressing the importance of the agreement, Giragosian
warned, "But for Armenia, there is an added pressure from the Armenian
diaspora, which is now very concerned over any agreement on normalizing
relations with Turkey." Noting that while the events of 1915 and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have always been a significant national
issue for Armenians worldwide, there is also a new domestic political
context, as the current Armenian government is under new pressure
to ensure and protect the national interests and security of both
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. In this way, this recent announcement
will also pose a test for the Armenian leadership, as Armenians
throughout the world will be closely watching and carefully listening
to every gesture and each word in the weeks ahead."
Pointing out that the biggest danger is likely to come from the
opposition to halt the ongoing process, Giragosian said, "At the
same time, the current Armenian government remains under constant
attack by the country’s opposition, thereby raising the stakes and
increasing expectations as well as exacerbating the pressure already
being exerted on Yerevan."
Kiro Manoyan, a member of the Armenian opposition Dashnaktsutyun party,
said the latest initiative to normalize Armenian-Turkish relations is
just a Turkish ruse to keep Armenia in the game. "Signed documents are
not guarantees for the real establishment of diplomatic relations,"
Manoyan told the Armenian press.