THE POLITICS OF TIGHT-ROPE WALKING

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12:58:57 – 17/08/2009

When Armenia engaged in its football diplomacy and invited Mr Gul to
attend that match in Yerevan , a beautiful red , ripened and juicy
apple fell in Turkey`s hands to flaunt it to the world as a token
of goodwill in its dealings with its neighbours and a proof of its
readiness for democracy and its worthiness for membership of the
European Union.

That visit became the God-sent occasion for Mr Gul to receive President
Obama in an apparently "clean house" , where all spiders webs , dirty
linen , boarded windows and locked cupboards full of skeletons had
been expertly hidden and out of public sight – as housekeepers often
do before the visit of an important guest .

Mr Obama , with a broad smile , praised Mr Gul for attending that
match , assigned to his host the responsibility to deal with what he
labelled "the Medz Yeghern" and called for Turkey and Armenia to go
forward in friendship and cooperation .

In retrospective , Mr Gul " had to be praised" for he needed great
courage to visit the very country whose borders he has closed because
of a third country`s claims , whose genocide , committed by his
ancestors , he denies and whose usurped land he occupies . Great
courage , impunity and unsensitivity .

The Authorities in Armenia , concerned only to better the situation for
the Armenian people, engaged in their football diplomacy genuinely
believing what had been promised to them and had become already
the subject of worldwide speculation : the opening of its borders
" without any precondition" . Speculation which should have been
replaced – worldwide- by the prosecution of Turkey for violation of
Human Rights in keeping closed the borders with a neighbour country.

It is interesting to note that up to President Obama`s visit , Mr Gul`s
friend , Mr Aliyev, kept silent and obeyed the order of the day : " do
not rock the boat".Turkey became the darling of Europe and although not
a full member of the Union, even assigned itself as its representative
and offered to act as a goodwill negotiator between the West and Iran .

I attended a meeting organised by the British-Iranian Parliamentary
Group on 28th April 2009 in Committee Room 5 of the House of Commons
( British Parliament) ,entitled : Briefing by His Excellency Mehmet
Yigit Alpogan Turkish Ambassador to the Court of St James`s on : "The
Turkey-Iran Relationship; is Ankara key to the West`s engagement with
Iran?" where 17 Members of the British Parliament and a large number
of the Turkish Ambassador`s entourage attended , exchanging smiles and
congratulation , but where – although this meeting had been organised
to address an issue concerning Iran – not even one Iranian was to be
seen. It was blatantly evident that this was a meeting to be kept "
in the family" !

The international media reported that Turkey was emerging as the Major
Power in the Caucasus , millions of dollars poured in to help Turkey
in its "exercise of democracy" and ,world-wide , Armenians believed
and hoped that the barbed wires at the borders would be cut , that the
barriers would be removed and that diplomatic relations will resume .

The football diplomacy was working in full for Mr Gul and was bearing
results beyond his imagination and wildest expectations.

President Obama returned home, Mrs Clinton dictated a new Agreement ,
the Major Powers , hastily , drew a Map which would protect their
" oil and gas routes" and Mr Aliyev received the green light to
"rock the boat now" and insist on the Karabagh issue to become the
precondition for opening the borders.

A tight rope ( very tight indeed ) had been woven .

Can and will anyone walk on it .. and not fall?