USA CAN MAKE GUL ARRIVE IN YEREVAN AND HAVE ALIYEV SIGN A TREATY OF PEACE WITH NAGORNO KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.07.2008 GMT+04:00

If Turkey agrees to negotiations, which will lead to normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations and result in opening of the border,
Baku will lose its sole ally.

To all appearances American diplomacy in the South Caucasus produced
the first results: negotiations on the probable normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations launched, secretly though. As usual,
information leak is traced to the Turkish press, which once more
convinces countries of the region of the fact that, in spite of all
her statements on her right to implement her own policy, Ankara obeys
the USA.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ However, USA’s controlling the Turkish policy
is temporary. On August 12 the Constitutional Court of Turkey will
announce the verdict of the Prosecutor’s General claim against the
ruling Party for Justice and Development (AKP). This means that on
September 6 the President of Turkey will be either in jail or in
Yerevan. And Washington, even if it cannot interfere in the affairs
of the Constitutional Court of Turkey, will at least influence the
General Staff, which has been directing the Turkish policy for more
than 70 years.

But secret negotiations are not a novelty. Still at the beginning
of the current year Armenian and Turkish diplomats secretly
met in Vienna, but neither of the Foreign Ministries elucidated
the meeting. And according to diplomats, it is now time to work
more openly. As Turkish Daily News reports, during the past three
months Armenian and Turkish officials have conducted two rounds of
negotiations in Bern, Switzerland, which is considered an impartial
country. Undersecretary of Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ertugrul Apakan
headed the Turkish delegation during the first round (held in May) and
his deputy Unal Cevikoz was the delegation leader at the second round
(held in July). According to Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan,
such contacts are important for normalization of relations. "We still
have disagreements over the events of 1915, but we favor a constructive
approach and are eager to have a dialogue on solving the problems,"
he said.

The information on Abdullah Gul’s arrival in Yerevan set Azerbaijan
on panic. However, it is quite explicable – if Turkey agrees to
negotiations, which will lead to normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations and result in opening of the border, Baku will lose its sole
ally. Though, it should be admitted, that Ankara is not so reliable
an ally. Ankara is eager to be a transit of Azerbaijani oil and gas,
and cherishes the idea of establishing the Great Turan state, which
is not at all favourable to Baku. Still, the Azerbaijani Mass Media
are discussing the possible consequences of Abdullah Gul’s arrival
in Yerevan. According to analyst Rasim Aghayev a question arises
whether Turkey will agree to "exchange" Nagorno Karabakh for Armenia’s
rejection to conduct a campaign for the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide across the world. "I think Turkish leadership may undertake
this step. But this will be Turkey’s mistake, as concessions in
Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be immediately followed by concessions
of Armenia in the issue of 1915 Genocide, which implies concessions
in the issues of compensations to the genocide victims and in the
issues of territorial claims by Armenia to Turkey," Aghayev believes.

Chief of Department of Armenian Studies of the Turkish Institute
of History Kemal Cicek, commenting to APA Turkish bureau on the
secret meetings between Armenian and Turkish officials, stated:
"Within various initiatives we’ve been meeting with Armenians in
different European cities – in Oslo, in Salzburg. We proposed to
establish joint commission for investigation of historic events,
but have not received positive response yet. We cannot achieve the
opening of Dashnak archives in Boston. No results have been achieved
at these meetings so far. Let our Azerbaijani brothers not worry. Any
step against our brothers is out of the question at the meetings held
by the Foreign Ministry and our institute as well. There is no room
for concern. The meetings may be even assessed as exerting pressure
on Armenians through our demands". We get the impression that instead
of the Turkish scientist it was an Azerbaijani analyst who answered
the question of APA Turkish bureau. By the way it is not the first
time that the Azerbaijani Mass Media have distorted the information
to their own benefit.

>>From all the Azeri analysts Zardusht Alizade turned out to be the
most sober. He declared that Azerbaijan should not panic in case the
Armenian-Turkish border is opened. "The rumours that Azerbaijan might
cede Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia are obviously untrue. The Nagorno
Karabakh conflict can be settled only through Azerbaijan’s effective
policy. Only we can solve this problem. The situation is changing in
the region and in the whole world, but our authorities are reluctant
to notice the change. Oil dollars do not decide everything in the
world. Sometimes we must look around and weigh the situation. The
West made Turkey establish relations with Armenia and it will make
Azerbaijan too. Soon the day will arrive when Azerbaijan will open
its borders to Armenia. But in order to achieve it, Armenians have
to give up their misleading policy and stop living in the world of
myths," Alizade noted, 1news.az reports. It is quite reasonable –
Alizade represents the opposition, and unlike other Azeri "political
analysts" can afford the truth or at least, the half-truth.

Meanwhile Editor-in-Chief of the Californian Courier Harut Sasunyan
is sure that even if the parties are able to overcome the main
disagreements, no doubt, there will be no end to controversies between
them. They will have arguments on selecting the staff and participants
of the perspective Armenian-Turkish commission, on deciding the scope
of investigation, on gaining access to the archives, and even on the
size of the table round which they are going to sit. "And, of course,
the side that will be quicker in smoothing away the controversies
will win the PR-war and will blame the other side for collapsing the
commission," Sasunyan said, reminding that the RA President had agreed
on forming a commission only after the Armenian-Turkish border would
be opened.

"In case the President of Turkey or any other authority leader arrives
in Yerevan on September 6, the Armenian authorities should follow the
protocol of visiting the memorial to the Genocide victims and lay
flowers to perpetuate their memory. But the problem is if Turkish
officials will agree to it. On April 21, 1993 former President of
Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian left for Ankara and obeyed the protocol by
visiting the mausoleum of Ataturk. Unfortunately the highly emotional
and sentimental issue of the Armenian Genocide is transformed into
political football. No one has the right to make political deals at
the expense of recognition of this atrocious crime! The Armenian
issue must not be subject to manipulations neither by the Turks,
nor by the Armenians," Sasunyan stated.