INFORMATIONAL CONTEXT OF THE POSSIBLE OPENING OF THE TURKSIH BORDER
Samvel Martirosyan
Noravank" Foundation
21 December 2009
The current dynamics of the Armenian-Turkish relations may change the
format and the content of the information field in the RA and NKR as
well as in the Diaspora.
Today Azerbaijan and Turkey are the main rivals of Armenia on the
information field. Meanwhile the developments round the conclusion
of the Armenian-Turkish protocols have deformed the information field
to a certain extent. Azerbaijan initiated not only anti-Armenian but
also partially anti-Turkish policy which is mainly directed to the
Turkish and Azerbaijani societies. In this regard the pressure to
Armenia released to a certain degree.
In its turn the Turkish front has become more transparent to Armenia.
Amid the absence of any relations between two countries the main
information struggle went on between Turkey and its satellites
(the organizations from Turkish Diaspora, Azerbaijani and Jewish
organizations supporting Turkey and etc) and the Diaspora (mainly
Western Armenian). Over that period Turkish information field was
mainly perceived in the light of information flows of the Diaspora.
Today the situation has changed. For Armenian mass media Turkish
periodicals, organizations, experts became "newsmakers". The Internet
users in Armenia, in turn, are reading the Turkish online press more
actively. In fact, Armenian information field is, to a certain degree,
under the Turkish influence.
Impact on the relations between Armenia and Diaspora Turkish
propaganda already works actively to drive a wedge between Armenia and
Diaspora. Today with this purpose the discrepancies between Armeniancy
connected with the Armenian-Turkish protocols are used.
Here the Azerbaijani press plays the role of the mediator. With the
help of Azerbaijan the filtered Turkish propaganda appears in the
Armenian field. Azerbaijani party uses a number of factors among
which there are two main ones:
Armenian press readers and Internet users till now depend to a certain
extent on Azerbaijani press from which they take news of the regional
character.
The language factor. Most of the Internet users in Armenia mainly
know Russian and in a less degree English. On the assumption of that
Azerbaijani press actively translates from English into Russian the
needed articles from the Turkish press in order to exert psychological
and informational pressure on the Armenian society. Besides, the
materials from Turkish language press, which is not controlled by
the Armenian mass media due to a simple reason that many Armenian
journalists do not speak Turkish, are actively used.
Those two factors allowed Turkish and Azerbaijani press to impact
on the Armenian information field rather actively. They try to drive
a wedge between different segments of the Armenian society based on
present discrepancies.
It is necessary to take into consideration that after the opening of
the border with Turkey Armenia will face another reality. We mean the
Armenian community of Turkey. Taking into consideration the fact that
the community consists of the Armenians who stayed there after the
Genocide and the wave of the Armenians who arrived there from the
RA, Turkey will try use the factor of the splitting of the Turkish
society. Especially because the community is in a difficult situation
and can appear under the pressure of the Turkish authorities. After the
murder of Hrant Dink it became clear that for the Turkish authorities
the Armenian community is a means of propaganda which is used to form
its image in the world. In the same way the factor of the Armenian
community can become a means to exert psychological pressure on the
Armenia and Diaspora.
Armenian media field Today Armenian media field, as we have already
mentioned, is partially under the Turkish influence. It should be
taken into consideration that Turkish media excel Armenian media in
regard to the available resources.
The first possible step may be the creation of the offices of the
Turkish media in Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenian party can hardly react
to that in the same operative way: Armenian press is strictly oriented
to the domestic political field (there are no offices of the Armenian
media even in the NKR).
On the second stage the dissemination of the Turkish printed press in
Armenia is possible (in English, for the Armenians and the tourists
and in Turkish for the possible migrants from Turkey).
On the third stage the creation of the joint Armenian-Turkish, as
well as only Turkish media in Armenian language is possible.
Armenian information field is not ready to the active Turkish expansion
not only in English but also in the Armenian languages.
There is already radio station broadcasting in Armenian in Turkey.
Besides, there are periodicals in Armenian issued by the Armenian
community.
Azerbaijan has been broadcasting news in Armenian on the satellite
TV channel. But the Azerbaijani and Turkish invasion of the Armenian
language information field will sharply differ from each other on
several parameters:
The psychology of the Armenians is seriously studied in Turkey. Thus,
the information flow will be weighed in contrast to the crude
Azerbaijani propaganda.
The study of the Armenian language is encouraged among the Turkish
officials. Besides, there are stratums of the Armenians in Turkey
which in one way or another collaborate with the Turkish authorities
or press. So there are serious possibilities both for the monitoring
of the Armenian press and creating materials in Armenian.
The Armenian society is not ready for such changes of the information
field. The information field in Turkey is very diverse, dynamic and
demands for much more severe competition than the one in Azerbaijan.
The opposite processes are also possible: Armenian media start
to broadcast in Turkish. If before the on-line Turkish version of
"Azg" newspaper had existed for several years, then today we have
two agencies – Tert.am and News.am – which translate their news in
Turkish. On the one hand, it is a good opportunity to influence a part
of the Turkish society which does not read in English. On the other
hand, the information field which is not controlled by the Armenian
community is formed and in the future it can turn into an infogene
threat, owing to the fact that from Armenia information flows, which
are formed and controlled by a very restricted number of people, go.
Electronic security The opening of the border with Turkey may also
imply the diversification of the data exchange with the external
world. There is a possibility of the creation of the fiber-optic
communications through the territory of Turkey.
In October 2008 the information appeared that "Beeline" Company and
Turkish communication operator ("Turkcell") are negotiating over
the creation of the reserve internet channel. Though later on the
information was disclaimed by the company, it is obvious that in case
of the opening of the border and free competition the "Turkish cable"
can really turn into reality.
In this case it should be taken into account that the Internet
traffic coming from Turkey can be potentially controlled by the
Turkish special services.
Besides, we may also speak about the usage of the Turkish
satellites for the exchange of the data. Armenia, in part, has such
an experience. The so-called "virtual silk road" which included
several post-Soviet countries has used Turkish satellite to supply
Armenian scientific and educational structures with Internet. In 2002
Eurasiasat-1/TurkSat-2A was used.
Conclusion In the near future the threat of infogene character by
Turkey may increase. Two factors should be mentioned:
In the near future Turkey will not stop being the information and
political competitor of Armenia even after the signing of the protocols
and implementing of programmes directed to closer relations stipulated
in those protocols.
Despite the discrepancies between Turkey and Azerbaijan the latter will
not stop being the ally of Ankara. Ankara-Baku propaganda tandem will
continue exerting pressure on Armenia. In the same way the merging
of the Turkish and Azerbaijani hacker groups acting against Armenia
and Armeniancy will continue.
At the same time, the continuing confrontation between Turkey and
Israel may become a positive factor for Armenian both for the possible
establishing of the closer relations with Tel Aviv and weakening of
the Turkish propaganda machine due to the growing pressure on behalf
of Israeli party.
On the other hand the abrupt change and activation of the information
field will boost the fast development of the mass media in Armenia
and shifting the priority to the foreign politics.