VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN: TURKEY MAIN BENEFICIARY OF PROTOCOLS

news.am
Oct 30 2009
Armenia

Both Turkish top-ranking officials and international lawyers have
repeatedly stated that Turkey will be the main beneficiary of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols," Vahan Hovhannisyan, Head of the ARF(D)
parliamentary faction, told reporters. "An interesting poll has been
conducted in Turkey. 70% of the Turkish population was against the
Armenian-Turkish protocols when the process started, whereas 70% are
for them now. It means that propaganda is rather effective there, and
the Turkish society now understands they will gain," Hovhannisyan said.

"They will just try to squeeze some more drops from a squeezed orange
by holding wide-ranging discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue –
as a precondition. It will cause some objections to or reservations
concerning the protocols. I cannot yet say anything, but it is
obvious that they will try to reap dividends from the propaganda,
which is unlikely in our case — our officials state it would be
showing weakness to respond to Turkey. So remaining silent like a
cat is a sign of strength," Hovhannisyan said.

As to the opinion voiced in Turkey that, after the border has been
reopened, Armenian may purchase land plot in Turkey and whether the
Armenian Government may implement such programs, Hovhannisyan said:
"The Armenian authorities can, but the incumbent cannot." According
to him, "it is not so easy to go to Turkey and purchase all the lands
belonging to us under the Treaty of Sèvres, as clear restrictions
are in effect in Turkey."