Trend, Azerbaijan
Jan 22 2010

American expert: Hate toward Turkey is ‘glue keeping Armenian diaspora
together’

U.S, Washington, Jan. 22 / Trend News N.Bogdanova /

The Armenian Diaspora does not wish to normalize Armenian-Turkish
relations. The diaspora’s hate for Turkey keeps them together, U.S.
expert and Turkish Coalition of America resident scholar Bruce Fein
said.

"The rich Armenia diaspora influence over the Armenian Parliament’s
ratification of the protocols through its remittances to Yerevan," he
told Trend News today. "The diaspora covets the shipwreck of
normalized relations between Turkey and Armenia, because bitter
antagonism towards Turkey is the only glue that keeps the diaspora
from splintering."

Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.

According to the expert, Armenia’s strict compliance with
international law should be demanded.

"Concessions to Armenia, despite its illegal war and occupation of the
Nagorno-Karabakh, will only embolden it to more outlandish ambitions,"
he added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are
currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. General Assembly’s
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.