ALEXANDER ISKANDARYAN: ARMENIAN-TURKISH TIES NORMALIZATION – IMITATION AND GAME

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
02.06.2009 20:31 GMT+04:00

"We must remember that Turkey is a state with its own traditions. And
any by Foreign Minister, Premier or President should not sound
surprising," Euro-integration NGO’s Chair Karen Bekaryan told today
a news conference. Commenting upon premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
statement on ethnic minorities’ dispossession being "carried out by
fascists", the expert said that it might be caused by two factors:
internal and external.

"Armenian-Turkish relations are key foreign policy factors. Erdogan
has several times announced in Baku that there’ll be no progress
in normalization process unless Karabakh conflict is settled. The
statement aims to soothe Azerbaijani side." "It will certainly
arouse Armenia’s dissatisfaction, pushing Turkey to side with our
country. Nobody Turkey to renounce its history by characterizing past
events as fascism," Bekaryan said.

In his turn, Director of Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan
characterized such conduct as imitation and game – reiteration of
double standards. "Such is Turkey’s foreign policy: to make different
statements in different places, siding either with Azerbaijan or
Armenia," he noted. "On the one hand, they realize the importance of
Armenian-Turkish ties normalization, but on the other hand, they don’t
want to lose Azerbaijan. They need both," Armenian expert announced.

"Turkey now conducts internal discussions and disputes over the
issue. Erdogan must work on domestic market, pushing ahead with
a foreign policy issue. It’s quite delicate policy," Iskandaryan
stressed.