BE CAREFUL: THE REEFS ARE POSSIBLE
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01 October 2009
Protocols of rapprochement in the mirror of the Turkish diplomacy A
new stage has begun in the Armenian-Turkish relations. In the last day
of summer, after long mass the ideas of the rapprochement of Turkey
and Armenia by both countries with the mediation of Switzerland are
initialed "protocol about the establishment of diplomatic relations"
and "protocol about the development of the bilateral relations",
which many analysts described as a significant contribution in
guaranteeing stability in South Caucasus and the region as a whole. In
a similar spirit, in particular, expressed the Swedish presidency
of the European Union which welcomed the agreement between the two
countries in terms of advancing of the process of normalization
of bilateral relations. The European Parliament and the Foreign
Ministry of Russia greeted this step, and Russia perceived motions
in the normalization of the relations between Armenia and Turkey as
a natural and long-awaited process.
Frankly speaking, expectations are actually old. But if to be even
franker, then we should admit that the two countries – Turkey and
Armenia-would hardly come to united agreement on the question of the
normalization of relations without "assistance from the outside". In
this context "the compliments" given above in the address of the
diplomacy of two countries by no means look random, whose number is
not limited to those quoted. In an approving spirit expressed not
only foreign politicians, but also experts and political scientists of
Armenia, who consider that initialing of these documents is a result
of serious work of Armenian diplomats. However, as applied to Armenia,
it must be noted, that the positive in the estimations of the given
"protocols about the intentions" is not so single-valued. Experts from
the opposition expressed in the sense that these protocols proceed from
the interests of Ankara and that the authorities of Armenia must not
allow just another deception from the part of Turkey. We must admit
that a reason exists in a similar fear. Craft of the Turkish diplomacy
is a well-known fact. It consists in the fact that it is in the order
of things for Ankara to wrap up highly sensitive, at first glance,
mutually beneficial and mutually acceptable agreement only and only
for their own benefit, purely for their own interests. In this case,
it is clear about what Turkish interests should be involved. This is
the Armenian Genocide and the Karabakh problem. The same pre-conditions
are associated only with them, which, although, are not mentioned
in the documents, nevertheless, in the process of internal political
consultations they cannot be missed, especially in Turkey. Since it
is difficult to imagine that these two factors, which for quite a long
time dominated in the political agenda of both countries (admittedly,
with an alternative position), at once they can be forgotten and cast
away aside as insignificant arguments. Of course, on the approval of
the president of Armenia and many other p!
olitician ain pre-conditions connected both with the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict and with the international recognition of
the Genocide. This is really so, if we examine the given protocols
especially as the diplomatically designed documents. And precisely
because these are documents of the diplomatic nature, they may contain
quite a clever subtext, which cannot be read.
Similar suspicions are not baseless. It is quite natural that the
president of the NKR Bako Sahakyan answering to the journalists
questions in the day of celebrating the 18th anniversary of the
NKR, quite justly pointed out that in the face of Turkey, we are
dealing with a country, for which the lie is the integral part of
its foreign-policy activity. This statement can be estimated as
the unanimous opinion of all the people of Nagorno Karabakh. And
this estimation is based on historic evidence, which confirm the
unreliability of Ankara as partner in the negotiations, able to turn
everything upside down.
No matter how is going to develop the process of normalization of
relations between Yerevan and Ankara, one thing remains unchanged –
questions either of genocide, or the Karabakh settlement cannot be
returned in the favor of the rapprochement of Turkey and Armenia,
which, admittedly, seems ephemeral, in any case – yet. Here again it
is appropriate to quote the President of the NKR: "… and it is not a
question of even a slight weakening of the independence and security of
Artsakh. These exceptional values are not for trading". The Armenian
diplomats should remember this immutable truth, who, with their
Turkish colleagues, will have to interpret once more the initialed
protocols for subsequent ratification after six weeks. To remember
in order not to run into the underwater reefs of Turkish diplomacy.