RUBEN SAFRASTIAN: NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH INTERSTATE RELATIONS HAS NO ALTERNATIVE

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 14, 2010
YEREVAN

During the Washington meeting between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the sides declared
that they would continue the negotiations over Armenian-Turkish
interstate relations, but it was clear that they maintained their
positions. Ruben Safrastian, a Turkologist, Director of the Institute
of Oriental Studies, expressed this opinion at the April 14 press
conference. According to him, the statements of the Turkish side
show that this country continues to speak to Armenia in a language
of preconditions.

In the opinion of R. Safrastian, the statements that the Armenian
president made in the U.S. clearly demonstrate that Armenia will not
make any concessions over the Armenian Genocide recognition and the
Karabakh problem. "All attempts of the Turkish side to put pressure
on Armenia in this direction have been futile so far and will remain
as such," he said.

In his words, the second important conclusion to be drawn from S.

Sargsyan’s statements is that Armenia and the Diaspora have acted
and will act jointly regarding the problems of the Armenians all over
the world, including the Genocide recognition.

Speaking about the ratification process of Armenia-Turkey protocols,
R. Safrastian noted that it is still at a deadlock or is frozen.

According to him, even the Turkish press said that "Turkey is
not prepared to ratify the protocols in the parliament now". Yet
R. Safrastian expressed confidence that the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish interstate relations has no alternative and sooner
or later the deadlock will be overcome.