TURKEY MADE ITS DECISION
Lragir.am
19/01/10
Interview with the coordinator of the Armenian National Congress
Levon Zurabyan
After the visit of the OSCE Minsk group American co-chair Robert
Bradtke to the region, Serge Sargsyan left for Moscow to meet with
Medvedev. A regular Aliyev-Sargsyan meeting is scheduled in the end
of January. What would you say in connection of this activation in
the NKR issue?
All our predictions become reality. In his speech at the rally on
September 17, 2008 Levon Ter-Petrosyan said that Serge Sargsyan
pledged to go on a package solution and to solve in the same package
the Armenian-Turkish and the Karabakh issues. All the assurances of
the authorities that these issues are not linked are nothing. The
views we have heard from the leaders of the United States and Russia
that we do not need to link these issues do not mean a thing too. It
is obvious that it is Turkey to open the border and to establish
relationships which explicitly links these problems. And since Turkey
is not under political pressure, it is obvious that these issues are
indeed intertwined. But U.S. and Russia’s leaders are simply trying
to save the image of their Armenian counterparts.
Which is the reason why they want to save the image of the Armenian
leadership?
The government has always deceived people saying that those issues
are not tangled. But as they undertake that step, just from propaganda
point, they need the assistance of the international community. This
is the reason why Putin and Obama make such statements. While, it
is evident that these two issues are linked, that the singing of
the Armenian and Turkish protocols aroused some activation in the
NKR issue. As well as, the whole international society is evident to
have repressed the Armenian and Turkish process and now it is aimed
at the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
The RP affirms that Turkey’s statements are aimed at getting
concessions from the international society in connection with other
issues. That is they make those statements for other purposes having
enough levers to force Turkey to solve the Armenian and Turkish issue
without the settlement of the NKR conflict.
We do not need to take seriously such statements of the Republican
Party moreover they were wrong in their predictions in December
when saying that Erdogan’s visit to Washington would not take place
if the Turks did not ratify the protocols. Only fools may believe
their predictions.
Will there be any break in the NKR issue in result of the upcoming
Aliyev-Sargsyan meeting?
After the Armenian and Turkish protocols were signed, repressions in
connection with the Karabakh issue started.
Do you think that signing of a declaration in relation to the NKR
issue will happen before the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish
protocols or after it?
It is difficult to speak about this matter simpler and more
systematically, than it was done by Turkey which claims that the
protocols will not be ratified until some progress in the Karabakh
settlement. It is obvious that either the Karabakh problem will be
solved, or the process will be re-frozen. If the Armenian government
is so naïve to believe that these two processes can be divided from
each other we have only to grief for our leaders. But I am sure they
are not so naïve and understand what they do by deceiving people.
Can the international community exert pressure on Turkey?
If the authorities think that the international community can exert
pressure on Turkey, they are mistaken. It is obvious that Turkey now
has the same importance for the U.S. as the United States for Turkey.
The U.S. challenges in the Middle East, and the partnership with Turkey
is a key factor for their safety, especially against the background of
failures, which the United States suffers in Iraq and Afghanistan. So,
the U.S. will not put pressure on Turkey. The same is true for Russia,
which, on the contrary, sees in the face of the Turkish state, one
with which it may have common interests.
Unfortunately, to achieve common goals, there will be pressure exerted
on Armenia.
Interview By Arman Galoyan