RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: "ONE NATION, TWO STATES" CONCEPT HAS EXHAUSTED ITSELF
Alisa Gevorgyan
"Radiolur"
12.01.2010 18:02
Unlike Armenia, no large political force in Turkey refers to the topic
of Armenian-Turkish relations in its platform. According to Turkologist
Ruben Safrastyan, this evidences that the Turkish political elite is
not ready for establishment of Armenian-Turkish relations.
Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the Armenian National
Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan views the steps of the Turkish
authorities, especially the ruling Justice and Development Party,
towards normalization of relations with Armenia as an attempt to go
against the opinion of the country’s political majority.
Some forces in Turkey consider that the normalization of relations
with Armenia is a betrayal with respect to brotherly Azerbaijan. This
is the reason for the statements by Prime Minister Erdogan and other
officials about the link between the Armenian-Turkish relations and
the Karabakh issue. The Turkologist considers that the statements tend
to please Azerbaijan and escape breaking relations with the latter.
Ruben Safrastyan is confident that the "one nation, two states" concept
has exhausted itself, and when working out its foreign policy Turkey
will be guided by its own interests.
As for the Armenian-Turkish protocols, Mr. Safrastyan believes that
despite strong resistance, the Turkish Parliament will ratify those
if the political elite decides so.