Turkey not to make single step toward Armenia without getting even more in exchange – Ruben Safrastyan

ArmInfo.Turkey will not make a single step toward Armenia without getting even more in exchange, the expert in Turkic studies, Professor Ruben Safrastyan said in an  interview with ArmInfo.  

“I think we all need to admit this simple truth. The simple reason  for Ankara putting off its response to Armenia’s proposal for opening  the land border for holders of diplomatic passports is that Ankara is  awaiting something in exchange. This is Turkish diplomacy, with its  mode of action. And if we add the latest statements by Ilham Aliyev  and Mevlut Cavusoglu, we can understand that we should not hold any  special expectations about the announced meeting of the Special  Envoys in Vienna,” Mr Safrastyan said. 

He substantiates his forecast by Ankara’s cooperation with Azerbaijan  in negotiations with Armenia, with Baku not at all going to display a  constructive approach in its relations with Yerevan. One more factor  is Turkey’s desire to turn its preconditions to Armenia into a  problem of the negotiation process. 

According to Mr Safrastyan, the last-named fact means that Turkey is  viewing negotiations with Armenia as a means of pressuring Armenia  into further concessions rather than of normalizing relations with  Armenia. In this context, he does not expect any positive results at  the current stage of negotiations.  Ankara’s very desire to negotiate  with Yerevan without any mediators and not in a neutral state is  evidence of its intention to get more ways of pressuring Armenia. 

“Of course, all the background factors are of secondary importance.  It is not the venue of negotiations, but the Turkish negotiators’  readiness for being constructive that is important. Regrettably, I do  not yet see any constructive position on Turkey’s part. And Armenia  should remain committed to its principles that have anything in  common the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh,” Mr Safrastyan said.