PROTOCOLS ON THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS ARE THE SUCCESS OF US, RUSSIAN AND TURKISH DIPLOMACY
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2009 GMT+04:00
In order to see and understand what awaits us in case of opening the
Armenian-Turkish border, we only need to go to those six vilayets a
couple of times.
The overwhelming majority of the Armenian population does not
in reality picture Turkey, which has recently been the topic of
discussion of nearly everyone. Unfortunately, the neighboring country
is perceived only in two colors, black and white, despite the fact
that many Armenians have been nowhere in this country except the
summer resorts. Istanbul and even Ankara, of course, do not count;
they are not the Turkey with which they want to reconcile us.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Present Turkey is the east and the south-east of the
country, habitually called Western Armenia. Unfortunately, traces of
Armenians living in the territories of the six eastern vilayets have
hardly remained, and the remaining ones are speedily declared monuments
of the Ottoman, Byzantine or just medieval culture. In this respect,
Ani can serve as an example. The same is true about Van, founded by
Urartian king Sarduri I. In schools children are taught the latest
reduction of the history of Minor Asia, according to which the most
ancient ancestors of the Ottoman tribes were Urartians. We can offer
plenty of proof, claiming that the fortress Tushpa-Van is in no way
related to the Ottoman tribes and that Ani, being the capital of the
Bagratids, was excavated by academician Nikolay Marr. We, Armenians,
have thought up a country that does not exist today. We form an idea
of that country through books that have a hundred years’ history,
and find comfort in cherishing the pipe dream of our "homeland". But
the new generation of Turks does not acknowledge all this and views
the Armenians as an unfriendly nation (if not an enemy) that can be
treated with flattery and smiles. It is just for a while, then… What
will happen then, Armenians know far too well.
In order to see and understand what awaits us in case of opening the
Armenian-Turkish border, we only need to go to those six vilayets
a couple of times. We may have plenty of talk about the European
way of development for Turkey, but there, in almost every corner
reigns Islam. Streets die during the evening prayer, rituals are held
strictly, and the "unfaithful" get the same treatment as a century
ago. The Turkish government, as already stated, has accurately
"layered" the Armenian-Turkish border: in the first zone are the
Kurdish villages, in the second are the Azerbaijani – Igdir, Erzurum,
and finally in the third is the native Turkish population. Under such
circumstances, even in case of a little conflict at domestic level,
everything will get under way and we are reluctant to even predict what
will be going on in the Armenian border area. Let us also add to this
the tense situation on the Turkish-Iranian border and the absence
of a checkpoint at the border between Turkey and Nakhijevan. All
this cannot but put us on our guard: it is quite likely that with
the opening of the border not only the so-called tourists will start
visiting Armenia, but also the Kurdish fighters. Thus, Ankara will
get an excellent opportunity to set the army in motion in the "fight
against PKK", as she did in Northern Iraq.
On the other hand Armenia is in a risky situation on the diplomatic
level as well. Turkish diplomacy is a true product of the East
with its treachery and sneakiness, while the Armenian diplomacy is
merely the remnants of the USSR bureaucratic machine, grown into
a foreign ministry that is, unfortunately, incapable of effective
steps to protect the interests of its own state. And when they say
that the protocols are the success of the Armenian diplomacy it is
not even funny. They are the victory of the US, Russian and even
Turkish diplomacy. We’ll have to put up with the fact that the
border will, after all, be opened. Winner out of this situation
is only Turkey. There is only one consolation: not only Armenia,
but also the entire South Caucasus is among the losers. However,
frankly speaking, it’s a miserable consolation.
And lastly, in a former Armenian village near Van, inhabited with
Kurds, arrived an Armenian. His father, before his death had entrusted
his son with coming here when an opportunity offered. When he came,
Kurds seemed to welcome him, and though he did not understand them, for
some reason he thought they were happy to have him in the village. So,
he began to talk about General Andranik, who used to stay in this
village. A Kurd standing beside him cursed the old man, but thank God,
he did not understand…