FIGHTING ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION N 106 IN CONGRESS SHOULD BE TURKEY’S PRIMARY TASK NEXT YEAR

NOYAN TAPAN

Dec 23, 2008
YEREVAN

International community’s pressure upon Turkey in the issue
of recognition of Armenian Genocide becomes stronger and
stronger. Turkologist Ruben Safrastian, the Director of the RA
NAS Institute of Oriental Studies, said at the December 22 press
conference. According to him, if 7-8 years ago someone spoke in
the U.S. about the Armenian Genocide committed in Turkey, he would
be considered bribed by Armenians. And currently those denying the
Genocide are considered bribed by Turks. The probability of adoption
of Resolution N 106 on recognition of Armenian Genocide in Congress
grows more and more, and next year fighting its adoption should be
Turkey’s primary task.

According to R. Safrastian, the current Turkish authorities consider
themselves Ottoman Turkey’s descendants, therefore they fail to
get rid of the policy of denying the Armenian Genocide. As to the
participants of the signature collection on the website I Apologize,
they are Turkish intellectuals making a small part of society.

Expressing readiness to establish relations with Turkey without
preconditions, Armenia showed a europeanized approach, which in R.

Safrastian’s opinion, is a very positive step. Armenia’s "football
diplomacy" was the continuation of that approach, to which Turkey
responded to some extent.

In R. Safrastian’s opinion, putting forward the idea of "Caucasian
platform" by Turkey was its attempt to oppose to strengthening of
Russia’s positions in the South Caucasus. After the August events
the geopolitical situation in the region changed in favor of Russia,
which dislocated its forces in Georgia’s formal territories. By
putting forward the idea of "Caucasian platform," Turkey tried to
show an initiative in the political sphere. And Russia welcomed that
initiative after Turkey renounced its initial plan to involve the U.S.

For Turkey, it was very important how the South Caucasian countries
will treat its initiative. Georgia abstained because of Russia and
increased Armenia’s role by doing so. According to the Turkologist,
for the first time in history Armenia received a serious diplomatic
value for Turkey, and an exclusive situation was formed, from which
Armenia should be able to derive benefit.

R. Safrastian said that Turkey’s activity in the Nagorno Karabakh issue
was also due to Russia’s factor, which strengthening its geopolitical
positions, decided to show political activity by initiating signing of
Maindorf Declaration. According to the Turkologist, Turkey will hardly
believe that Armenia will ever agree to Turkey’s being a mediator in
the Nagorno Karabakh settlement.

According to R. Safrastian, Russia-Turkey possible rapprochement is
much spoken about in the past 2-3 years. However indeed it is of
purely economic nature. These two countries’ geopolitical visions
in the Caucasian region are mutually exclusive: both Turkey and
Russia wish to involve the South Caucasus in the sphere of their
influence. Therefore these countries’ political rapprochement at the
state level is improbable, and no real danger threatens Armenia in
that respect.