SHOULD ARMENIAN LEADER VISIT TURKEY? SITUATION AS SEEN FROM YEREVAN

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Aug 25 2009
Armenia

Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s visit to Yerevan last September was
perceived as a historic event by many. Armenia and Turkey started a
rapprochement process, and a declaration approved by the two states’
foreign offices proved to be evidence thereof. Showing tolerance, the
two Presidents accepted the term "football diplomacy" to designate the
process. Gul’s invitation to Yerevan proved to be a kind of "serve to
the penalty area", which was to be followed by Turkey’s blow on the
major target, namely, the establishment of diplomatic relations and
unblocking of borders. The blow was to be delivered before Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan’s return visit to Turkey. The Armenian leader
is expected to visit Turkey this October to attend a return match
between the Armenian and Turkish national football teams. There remain
about 50 days, but Turkey is not in a hurry to deliver a blow. Should
the Armenian leader continue "serving" or should he drop out? NEWS. am
asked representatives of political forces to make their comments.

Razmik Zohrabyan, Vice-Chairman of the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia (RPA) pronounced against President Sargsyan’s visit to
Turkey. He stated that, after Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi
Kilic offered the Armenian leader to go to Turkey "by air" to attend
the football match — as the re-opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border is conditional on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict — President Sargsyan "would act right if he kept his own
promise." As regards possible accusations against Armenia on the part
of international community, Zohrabyan said: "Indeed, two opposite
opinions do exist, and the international community may accuse Armenia
of being ‘unconstructive’: Gul arrived in Armenia to watch the match,
but you will not." He believes "football diplomacy" was initiated
after the "roadmap" was approved in Switzerland. "If Turkey will not
open the border, setting preconditions for that, the Armenian leader
will be right if he does not go to Turkey, as the Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement process will be slowed down for a while," Zohrabyan said.

Giro Manoyan, Head of the Hay Dat (Armenian Cause) office, Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) is against the Armenian President’s
visit to Turkey. "The President stated he would not go to Turkey
provided the border had been re-opened or relevant measures were in
progress. We have only 50 days before the football match, and the
border will hardly be reopened or measures to lift Armenia’s blockade
are unlikely to be launched. So Serzh Sargsyan had better not go to
Turkey," Manoyan said. He does not rule out the possibility of the
Armenian President’s visit under international pressure.

Stepan Safaryan of the Heritage opposition parliamentary faction
is not much interested in whether the Armenian President will visit
Turkey or not. "I am not any more interested in any changes in this
issue. It is my view of the problem. The processes are obviously
involving persons and the matter of saving their political reputation,
not the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. It is not the visit itself
that is of importance, but whether it will rectify the errors made
by the Armenian authorities and whether the negotiations will be
acceptable to the Armenian side or not," Safaryan said. As regards
international pressure on Armenia, he said: "I was the first in
Armenia to state Sargsyan would go to Turkey as it is important
for the international community, which, in turn, will pressure both
sides, especially Turkey. An interim step seems to be a solution –
for example, the border can temporarily be reopened for Armenian
football players. However, it does not mean a final solution."

Vladimir Karapetyan of the opposition Armenian National Congress
(ANC) said the Armenian authorities have created a situation when the
Armenian leader’s visiting and refusing to visit Turkey – both are to
the country’s detriment. "The developments, especially after the April
22 statement was adopted, are such that no serious changes should be
expected in any way," Karapetyan said. The Armenian authorities have
repeatedly stated Turkey has turned aside from the agreements. So Serzh
Sargsyan will not go. If this is so, the Armenian side can and must
make the commitments – the roadmap — available for the public to prove
they do not constitute any danger to us, but Turkey is violating them."