168 Poor, pitiful, dependent… They are afraid to even say a word because of the fear of Turkey.

In the “Pressing” program Satik Seyranyan the guest is Turkologist, doctor of historical sciences, professor Ruben Melkonyan is.

Q:On June 28, the Israeli government unanimously approved the project presented by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. Nikol Pashinyan, in response to the journalists’ question, stated that he does not see the need to react to Israel’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, because he believes that “it is in the interests of the Republic of Armenia not to get into the issue of the weaponization of the Armenian Genocide.”

In fact, Nikol Pashinyan is so afraid of Turkey and Azerbaijan that he is afraid to even say the word “thank you” to Israel.

The main theses of the interview are below.

• The world is no longer the same. In the 21st century, wars have become a different genre, when Trump can announce that he has destroyed Iran, then an hour later announce that they are successfully negotiating with Iran…

• The process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide by different countries of the world has never been free from politicization. But the former authorities of Armenia pursued such a policy that many countries simply could not make this issue a part of their political toolkit. Over the decades, Israel has either remained neutral or torpedoed the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Israel is an image of a collective enemy among Islamic states, and Erdogan has a streak of racism in his political biography. But Turkey is the first Islamic state to recognize Israel the state:

• In previous decades, when Turkey faced difficulties in the context of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, it often turned to Israel for help. But Turkey also accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The term “genocide” is trending in Turkey-Israel relations today. one accuses the other of committing genocide. Let’s not forget that Israel played a very important role in the Artsakh genocide during the 44-day war.

• Israel’s international recognition of the Armenian Genocide has a slightly different status because it is a nation that survived the Holocaust. The international recognition of the Armenian Genocide by this state has the importance of political, scientific and psychological pressure. Previously, when Israel-Turkey relations were strained, the issue of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide was raised. Of course, the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, has not yet ratified the Government’s decision, and a very big question is whether this issue will make it to the agenda of this Israeli Parliament or to be voted on… This is the decades-long problem of the two states, Turkey-Israel’s strange allies.

• As a result of the activities of these authorities, Armenia is facing such an empty diplomatic arsenal that it has no room to maneuver, and they have decided to choose the primitive option of evasion by talking about the absurd topic of weaponization. This was very predictable, but it means you don’t have the resources to get into the subject of your nation’s tragedy. Meanwhile, the activation of the issue could be used very skillfully in case of diplomacy.

There was no need to thank Israel. it is clear that Israel did not raise the issue for the sake of the Armenian people, but when the wind blows, you can advance your interest, not only protect yourself from the storm, but also make your windmills work. It could be said that you, being a nation that survived the Holocaust, always had a cold attitude towards the Armenian Genocide, you participated in the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in 2020, and it is good that you started to raise the issue… Or say: Israel, don’t use our pain for your own interests… but, as you can see, nothing is said, they are afraid to say a word.

Any foreign citizen looking at this topic from the side, a conventional Swede, sees that two states are talking about the Armenian Genocide, but Armenia is silent. These authorities are showing what kind of pathetic, pathetic, dependent diplomacy they have. In our diplomatic arsenal is only entreaty and concession. We even stamp the Mount Ararat in our passport… To this day, they give up everything, they are ready to give up everything…

• Israel is trying to strengthen its position in the Middle East game. The F-35 deal can be seen in that logic. Israel shows by its example that it is not possible to say “peace” and there will be peace. The KP government has essentially given up on big politics and instead, they are dealing with internal construction, asphalting and free medical care issues, because they actually bring votes. They are not doing what the previous authorities were doing, perhaps neglecting the asphalt, but strengthening security. A part of the people of Armenia preferred visible asphalt to invisible from security.

To remind: The US authorities are discussing the possibility of transferring F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. The administration is working with Congress on that issue, US Vice President JD Vance said during the meeting between Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

2019 The sale of F-35s to Turkey was blocked due to sanctions. This issue was discussed during the meeting of the presidents of Turkey and the USA in March of last year. The White House made it clear that they are open to negotiations about the aircraft.

Ankara was kicked out of the F-35 program in 2019 after buying the Russian C-400 air defense system, which Washington says poses a threat to the plane’s sensitive technology.

Already in December, the US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barak, announced that Ankara wants to completely abandon the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems in order to get the opportunity to buy American fighter jets.

• In the past, the non-negotiable position of the Armenian Genocide brought the world’s greats to our door. Otherwise, why should Erdogan have said: I called Putin not to go to Yerevan for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, but he didn’t listen and didn’t go? Or why should French President Sarkozy promise to nominate 3rd President Serzh Sargsyan for the Nobel Prize if the latter renounced Artsakh, which, of course, Serzh Sargsyan did not agree to? Now, as a result of the incompetent activities of these authorities, Armenia is not in a big international political turmoil, as they say, not even in the discussions of issues concerning us, not in diplomatic negotiations. we are sitting at the table, but we are in the menu, on the plates… they are making asphalt…

• The sad thing is that there is no diplomat by Pashinyan’s side to tell him that it is not possible to achieve any result with Turkey by making endless concessions. 

• Never before have I seen such joy over the election of the head of Armenia from Turkey… I have never seen any candidate being supported so much by direct text, as Pashinyan was supported by Turkey and Azerbaijan during these elections. 

• The most false thing that mankind has ever used in its political life is the term “democracy”… 

Ruben Melkonyan, referring to Nikol Pashinyan’s attacks against the Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, said: 

“In Turkey’s foreign policy concept, which is better known as Davutoğlu’s theory, there are 2 targets: the worldwide network structure, the Armenian Church, and the Armenian Diaspora. It is also fixed what to do against the Armenian Diaspora: to divide and create Turkish diasporas. The same is written about the Armenian Church: it should be destroyed so that the Armenian Church does not talk about the Genocide. This has been done and is being done, and it is sad that now the same steps are being taken inside Armenia… 

There are speeches by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish state, in which he considers the thrones of the archdeacons of the Armenian Apostolic Church as targets by name. Armenian patriarchs are always direct or subconscious targets for Turks. Garegin the Second was and continues to be a Turkish target. We can clearly say that the Catholicos of All Armenians are an institutional target of Turkey and a personal target of various Turkish leaders. Therefore, what is being done now is against the church and a Turkish demand.”

In these elections, Nikol Pashinyan has included a new wave of attacks against the Armenian Church and the Patriarch in the pre-election program of his CP. By 2031, Armenia will have a new Catholicos, “Removal of the de facto head of the Armenian Apostolic Church”, wrote “Civil Contract” in its pre-election program.

The year-long non-stop struggle of the ruling team to dethrone the Catholicos is now a pre-election program provision.

Without giving each other a turn, CP members, in line with their leader’s speech, continue to speak about the clergy with insolent vocabulary.

• Throughout our history, the Armenian Church and its ruler have always been the pioneers promoting the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The attitude of Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukyur Pashazadeh, head of the Department of Muslims of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Caucasus, towards our Church and its leader is determined by this. The Armenian Church and Catholicos always fought against the Armenian Genocide and its consequences and became a target. In the case of Garegin 2, the historical inheritance, the mission continues.

When did the campaign against the Catholicos of All Armenians begin when he began to raise the issue of ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and the right of return of Artsakh residents on international platforms? In other words, the Catholicos of Armenia became a target because he continued the work of his predecessors. These offer Armenians the concept of material Armenia: don’t think about Artsakh and Ararat, think about pension, insurance and asphalt. They remove the spiritual from a person. Now the church is a Turkish target, and it is not a secret for anyone. And if the campaign against the Church finds a place in the pre-election program of the CP, it means that this struggle becomes institutionalized. Those who voted for Nikol Pashinyan should know that voted for Pashinyan’s attack against the Armenian Church and His Holiness:

• I repeat: it is very difficult to be a Turkologist in today’s Armenia, because when you know the history, you know the historical facts, you know the theoretical approaches of Turkey towards Armenia, and then you see what is happening in Armenia, you see what these authorities are doing, you hear what they are saying, you find yourself in a very difficult situation. You can’t believe that in your country there could be steps that coincidentally correspond to Turkish politics. 

• We are fighting for our existence, traditions, great states for their influence. The South Caucasus has always been a target of interest in world politics. Turkey, USA, Europe, Russia, China are fighting for him. Isn’t it clear that if Turkey wins in the struggle for influence, we will lose a lot, we won’t even have the right to have a stamp with the image of Mount Ararat in our passports… The increase of Turkey’s influence will be destructive for us.

• There is no place in Armenia that Azerbaijanis do not consider their historical land, but when you explain this to the citizens, some do not believe. Do whatever you want. Turkish-Azerbaijani programs are static programs and are carried forward for decades.

• The state program “West Azerbaijan” is operating in Azerbaijan. It’s not just the “return”, it’s the Corridor, place names, religious issues, Armenian identity, everything… This is a serious state-funded concept under the auspices of the President of Azerbaijan, which they are promoting with these Armenian authorities.

• Throughout the Soviet period, Artsakh was called the autonomous region of Nagorno Karabakh. Was there an autonomous region of Masis or Noyemberyan in Armenia? How can the return of Artsakh residents to Artsakh be compared with the arrival of Azerbaijanis here? Or that a person wants to go, live somewhere, does it with aggression? When Azerbaijanis go to a place, they first demand that state to open a school, then to open a mosque, then other demands come forward… The arrival of Azerbaijanis to Armenia means the invasion of Armenia by soft power. This is not a fantasy, but a theory. In the concept of “West Azerbaijan”, the so-called “return” is fixed.

Details in the video.

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