ARMENIA: IS TURKISH DEAL RESHUFFLING ARMENIAN POLITICS?

EurasiaNet
Nov 19 2009
NY

Political observers in Yerevan are watching for signs of a political
deal between President Serge Sargsyan and his most vocal critic,
Levon Ter-Petrosian.

In surprise comments made on November 11, Ter-Petrosian said that the
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement agreement, signed in October, presented
Sargsyan as "a realistic and resolute statesman worthy of the 21st
century," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Armenian service reported.

While taking issue with Sargsyan’s agreement that a group of historians
should investigate the 1915 slaughter of ethnic Armenians by Ottoman
Turks, Ter-Petrosian accused the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF)-Dashnaktsutiun, a vocal critic of the Armenian-Turkish deal,
of throwing "non-existent sins" onto the tally of "numerous sins
committed by Sargsyan," RFERL reported.

In response, Kiro Manoian, an ARF spokesperson accused Ter-Petrosian
of trying to make backroom deals with Sargsyan while publically
maintaining his image as the administration’s sworn enemy, the Tert
news agency reported on November 18.