Establishing Relations With Armenia Turkey Chooses The Path Of Least

ESTABLISHING RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA TURKEY CHOOSES THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE: LOCAL EXPERT

ArmInfo
2009-03-16 14:14:00

ArmInfo. Turkey has chosen the path of least resistance denying the
Genocide and does not allow any other country to recognize it at
the same time establishing its relations with Armenia independently,
Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan, the local political expert told ArmInfo.

‘Given the fact that one of the preconditions of Turkey’s admission
to the EU is normalization of relations with Armenia, Turkey is
establishing good-neighbored relations with Armenia automatically
lifting the problem of genocide recognition at least for the
transitional period of joining the EU’, he said.

The expert does not share the certain sense of euphoria among Armenian
citizens for establishment of relations between Yerevan and Ankara. ‘I
don’t think this new wave of Armenian-Turkish relations is a reason
for such euphoria. Let’s remember Garegin Nzhdeh and his great phrase
"Turks are masters in imitating friendship". I think it is the very
situation now’, he said.

‘Turkey simply needs improving relations with Armenia or at least
creating such visibility for several reasons. First, Turkey wants to
prevent recognition of Armenian Genocide by a number of states. They
will have a new triumph card since Turkey is launching negotiations
with Armenia for establishment of diplomatic relations and declares
that recognition of Armenian Genocide by a third country will have a
negative impact of Armenia-Turkey relations. The logic is not clear,
of course. However, it works’, the expert says.