PRICE OF RAPPROCHEMENT
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01-10-2009
THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC HAS ALREADY PAID IT
The last day of the summer, we can say, quite abruptly has changed the
internal political life of Armenia. Under the mediation of Switzerland,
initialed protocols on August 31 about the establishing diplomatic
relations between Armenia and Turkey and about the development of
bilateral relations, in fact, marked a new stage in Armenian-Turkish
dialogue, and had a significant influence on political processes in
both countries. It should be noted that in Armenia the public debate
on this topic began even before the promulgation of the Protocols,
and the beginning of it was established by the so-called "football
diplomacy". However, the protocols gave discussion more active
nature, and the official consultations on the level of political
parties began just over a week ago, when on this purpose took place
the meeting of President Serzh Sargsyan with the leaders of political
forces . Well, the reaction of the Armenian society on the prospects
of the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations was initially
controversial, which most visibly manifested during the discussions
of the mentioned documents, which played the role of unique litmus
paper. Of course, a positive public debate in itself is doubtless
and consists in the very possibility of the public discussion of the
questions, which have general national value. It is understandable:
the collision of different and even polar positions and opinions
makes it possible to work out, if not unified, then, at least,
optimum approach to solving such a complicated problem, which is the
normalization of Armenian- Turkish relations. It is clear that the
process of normalization of relations between Yerevan and Ankara –
albeit complex, ambiguous – certainly contains a positive impulse
because it must be admitted that in the XXI century, when the world
wide development are integration processes and closed borders – is
nonsense and even anachronistic. However, we must also recognize that
this process is, at least for the Armenian part, has both pluses and
minuses. Therefore, the nd expert circles are evaluated positively
then in the estimations of protocols themselves, one of the main
principles of which consists in agreement of both countries to open
Armenian- Turkish border, there is no similar unanimity. Taking into
account the fact that the enemies of the initialed protocols are from
this and that parts as well as inconsistency in words and actions
of representatives of the Turkish leadership, with a high degree of
probability we can assert that before the singing of the most important
international documents by Armenia and Turkey is not close yet.
Last but not least, if not most, in the context of Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement, the Armenian public is interested in the process of
Karabakh settlement. As you know, in the Protocols two processes
are divorced. However, it is known that political and social
circles of Turkey are dissatisfied that the authorities finally
have agreed to make the scope "of the Swiss protocols" problem of
Nagorno-Karabakh. However, regardless of the dissatisfaction of the
Turkish establishment, the absence of documents of the Karabakhian
linking does not mean that Turkey and its satellite Azerbaijan
actually have refused the idea to connect resolution of conflict with
the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. Which the Turkish Prime
Minister Erdogan confirms fairly often, constantly asserting the
impossibility of opening of the border without the withdrawal of the
Karabakh forces from the territories, which is under their control. In
order to clarify the understanding of the topic, the NKR authorities
clearly and explicitly put forward its position. It consists in the
fact that in the process of normalization of bilateral relations
between Armenia and Turkey the presence of the factor of third part –
Azerbaijan is unacceptable. In other words, the Karabakhian part is
for the normalization of these relations, but not to the prejudice
of the interests of the NKR. In a definite sense, negative, skeptical
attitude of the population of the NKR to the possibility of the opening
of the border is explained precisely by the undisguised intention
of Turkey and Azerbaijan to resolve their problems at the expense of
Nagorno-Karabakh. At the basis of this attitude lies the historical
experience of the Karabakhian people, rightly considering tandem
Turkey-Azerbaijan as the serious factor of threat to its existence. It
is not worth forgetting, that the Karabakh problem is derivative,
and is a result of the Genocide of Armenians in 1915-23. There are no
convincing reasons to assume that both these Turkish genocidal states
abandoned its expa of seizing Artsakh and its destruction as the
Armenian public education. Tactically, they can also, blezira sake,
demonstrate to the world readiness for the specific compromises,
but here strategically their purposes have hardly been undergone
any changes. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as an independent factor
in the region proceeds from the interests of its national security
and is ready to discuss entire spectrum of Karabakhian problems on
equal terms. It stands for the stability and the establishment of
good neighborly relations in the region, but not at any price. Its
price for peace, moreover high enough, the NKR has already paid.