TURKEY TRIES TO GAIN ARMENIA’S CONFIDENCE, DIRECTOR OF RA NAS INSTITUTE OF HISTORY CONSIDERS
Noyan Tapan
Se p 10, 2008
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Turkish President Andullah
Gul’s visit to Armenia was positive in the respect of breaking
the ice between the two countries, as well as because it was the
first visit at the presidential level in history. Ashot Melkonian,
the Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy
of Sciences of Armenia, expressed such an opinion at a September 10
press conference. In his words, so far Turkey had not stepped back
from policy of denying the Armenian Genocide and today when it is
doing so it means that Turkey has drawn conclusions from the latest
events in the South Caucasian region.
Russia, according to A. Melkonian, bringing troops in South Caucasus
has already laid the bases of making the world two-pole. On the other
hand, Armenia being considered a country forced out of the Baku-Ceyhan
oil pipeline project has become a destabilizing factor for states
using the oil pipeline. Turkey taking this into consideration,
as the historian affirmed it, is working in two directions. That
country’s first goal is to gain Armenia’s confidence and the other is
the fulfilment of its old idea of creating a "Caucasian house." "In
1918-1920 Turkey tried to ascribe to itself the role in creation of
the Caucasian house. Besides, once Nuri Pasha said that Armenia is
in a sack, the mouth of which is is Turks’ hands, and at any moment
they can close that sack," A. Melkonian said. He also reminded to those
present the expression of one of Armenian diplomats in those years that
"the Caucasian house is a house where Armenians should rent a room."
According to the speaker, it is not clear yet what status Armenia will
have in the "Caucasian house" in case of its establishment. According
to A. Melkonian’s observation, the three preconditions put forward
by Turkey were not spoken about during A. Gul – S. Sargsyan meeting
and it means that the hopes of normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations are vain.