ONE NATION – DIFFERENT PROBLEMS
Levon MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN

Times.am
15 April, 2010, 9:26 pm

Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani President suddenly phone called to the
President of Turkey Abdullah Gul located in Oman. The bell rang during
the official welcoming ceremony of the Turkish President in Oman,
reported Armenian Public Television with the reference on Arab media.

Despite the protocol violation, Aliyev demanded immediately pass the
phone to Gul, inform the Arab media.

There is no information whether Aliyev’s demand was complied or not,
but the extreme excitement of Azerbaijani President is understandable:
Aliyev does not trust to the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan who is
located in USA same as, Gul. Despite their assurances to protect
Azerbaijani interests at Erdogan’s meeting with the Presidents of
Armenia and USA. Aliyev is well aware of the fact that for Turkey
leaders interests of their own state prevail above the interests
of Azerbaijan. Aliyev knows that Turkey now is in the sufficiently
complex situation: it’s pressed by the USA, initiated Armenian-Turkish
protocols, and at the same time President of Armenia S. Sargsyan
repeatedly and unequivocally let know about Armenia’ unwillingness
to negotiate with Turkey the question of regulating Nagorno-Karabakh
problem. Finally, Azerbaijan perfectly well understands that Turkey’s
promises to connect Armenian-Turkish protocols with the NKR’s problem
are likely wishes, than reality. In the interview to "Regnum" Russian
agency well-known Azerbaijani political scientist and conflictologist
Arif Yunusov stated that Erdogan: "will do everything, in order to
connect these two processes. Will it come true? Unlikely. I assume
Turks understand it and attempt to calm official Baku in case of
negative developments".

Aliyev’s phone call to Gul unambiguously showed that not only Yunusov
understands it. Azerbaijan same as Turkey are behind Armenia in
the diplomatic standoff. In case if anyone had any doubts about
it before, then now after S. Sargsyan laid flowers on the grave
of 29th US President Woodrow Wilson in Washington reassured them
all. Serzh Sargsyan unequivocally gave to understand that a) Armenia
and its President remain committed to the spirit and requirements
of Armenia’s Constitution on captivated Armenian territories within
the Turkish state territory; b) Armenia is not intended to waive the
requirements for the recognition and condemnation of Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Turkey.

It appears to be that after this S. Sargsyan’s step even skeptics’
doubts had to evaporate on Armenia President’s position during the
negotiations with Erdogan. The fact that Erdogan, after the meeting
with Serzh Sargsyan, left negotiation hall with the back door, became
logical outcome of Armenia’s position presented by the President.

Well-known Erdogan’s splendor immediately crumbled away as old plaster
from the wall of not well-groomed room.

Immediately after the meeting with Erdogan, S. Sargsyan went to meet
with representatives of Armenian Diaspora in USA. Along the meeting
the President of Armenia briefly presented Armenia’s position on
negotiations with Turkey. First, S. Sargsyan recalled that in recent
months the entire world became the witness of Turkey’s fruitless
attempts to split the Motherland and Diaspora, and then President
stated: "There is no difference in opinions of Armenian people in
Armenia and Diaspora, the Armenian nation is united, and it remains
committed to its fair trial".

The President of Armenia confirmed the intention of Armenia and
Diaspora to seek the retribution for the Armenian Genocide occurred
in Turkey. "We will pierce the stone of indifference, cynicism and
hypocrisy. We have enough of patience, faith and endeavor", stated S.
Sargsyan.

Meanwhile almost all Turkish newspapers reported Erdogan’s statement
in which he practically forewent the ratification of Armenian-Turkish
protocols. According to "Sabah" Turkish newspaper, Erdogan after
meeting with S. Sargsyan said: "We commit to protocol obligations;
however, at present there is no appropriate political climate for
the vote in Mejlis. Protocols would be rejected, if they enter (to
the ratification) in Parliament now". The information about this
statement got reported by other Medias also. The Prime Minister of
Turkey explained "unfavorable political climate" by the decisions
of US Senate committee and Sweden Parliament on recognition of the
events in Turkey of 1915-1923 as Armenian Genocide, as well as the
resolution of the Constitutional Court of Armenia.

Noteworthy to mention that, in spite of Azerbaijani Medias "free
inserts", in Erdogan’s explanations Nagorno-Karabakh conflict wasn’t
mention at all. However, Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister A. Davutoglu
attempted to defuse the situation, by speaking to APA Azerbaijani
news agency "one of the main targets of Zurich protocols was the
release Azerbaijani land from the "occupation" (the quotes are ours
– L.M.-Sh.) At the nonsense about Armenian-Turkish protocols, where
neither NKR nor Azerbaijan mentioned can believe person, who strongly
desires to be deceived. Caught in a fairly complicated political
situation, Turkey forced to distance from the conflict between
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, whatever the Minister of
its Foreign Affairs declared.

Turkish not-concealed desire to be among the OSCE Minsk group
co-chairmen and Azerbaijan’s expectations of it, also obtained rigorous
resistance. "We do not intend, in any format, to make the subject of
discussion the fact of Genocide or pretend to believe that Turkey can
have any positive role in regulation of Karabakh’s conflict", stated
the President of Armenia in the capital of state, which Turkey sees as
its main accomplice in bringing Ankara in a full negotiating process.

In a meantime, after all of Washington meetings in order to "save face"
of the US President Barrack Obama, there is a chance of appearance of
certain amorphous paper that would indicate the desire of Yerevan
and Ankara to "continue the path of Armenian-Turkish relations
normalization".

P.S. The article was ready for publication, when Turkish
Foreign Minister’s spokesman Barack Ozugergin officially announced
( ish-Foreign-Ministry-Denies-Azerbaijani-News-Agenc y-S-Report)
that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu didn’t
give any interviews to APA Azerbaijani news agency. QED (quod erat
demonstrandum).