ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS WON’T CHANGE IRRESPECTIVE OF FACT WHAT POLITICAL FORCE WILL WIN TURKISH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
May 25 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 25, NOYAN TAPAN. Expressing any position connected
with Turkey-European Union relations is very premature for Armenia:
involving Turkey into EU, after all, is an issue to be decided
by Europe. Armen Ayvazian, Director of Ararat strategic center,
expressed such opinion at the May 25 discussion.

As he affirmed, the forecast of Armenian politicians that
becoming EU member, Turkey will change its attitude to Armenia, is
wrong. A. Ayvazian said that if even that country becomes a member of
European family, which, in political scientist’s words, is improbable,
it will use all possibilities given to it within the framework of
that union to exert greater pressure upon Armenia.

Touching upon the elections to be held in summer in Turkey, A. Ayvazian
said that irrespective of the fact whether the Islamists or secular
political forces will win the elections, Armenian-Turkish relations
will not change.

Ruben Safrastian, Director of Institute of Oriental Studies of
National Academy of Sciences, reminded that as early as before the
previous elections the representatives of Justice and Development
Party made sensational statements that in case of coming to power they
will cooperate with Armenia purely from considerations of economic
contacts. Their promises of the kind, naturally, were not fulfilled.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress