ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS: IS ARMENIA CAUGHT IN A TRAP?

Tert
Oct 20 2009
Armenia

One has the impression in Armenian-Turkish relations that the
Armenian public is discussing one issue and the international
community another, said politician Yervand Bozoyan during a press
conference today. "People don’t really understand what’s going on;
it seems we’re not on the same page," Bozoyan said.

"The ill-famed football diplomacy," according to the politician, puts
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue at risk. In this context, Bozoyan stated
that before the launch of Armenian-Turkish relations, talks on the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue were frozen, but over the past year or year
and a half, the discussions on the issue have significantly developed.

"And the risk is in the fact that Turkey received a legitimate right
to interfere with the issue," Bozoyan said, adding that the result
of vitalizing Armenian-Turkish relations is that Armenia is caught
in a trap.

In this context, he appealed not to believe the published text of
the Protocols. "If the word Karabakh isn’t clearly stated there,
it doesn’t mean that the issue is not implied."

Another participant in the debate, Turkologist Hakob Chakryan was more
optimistic in his evaluations of the Armenian leadership’s actions:
"For the time being, we aren’t caught in a trap."

At the same time, he said the peace process is taking place in the
whole region, "which, of course, refers to the entire South Caucasus."

According to Chakryan, Turkey must also be interested in this process.

He also said that by alienating Armenia, Turkey dooms to fail its
initiative in the South Caucasus.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress