IN KARINE DANIELIAN’S OPINION, INITIATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS ENTRAPPED ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Oct 8, 2009
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The Institute of Open Society NGO
held a telephone survey in Yerevan to find out society’s opinion
of the normalization process of Armenian-Turkish relations and the
initiated Armenian-Turkish protocols. As organization head Edgar
Hakobian reported at an October 8 press conference, 1306 citizens
above 18 took part in the survey.
The majority of respondents, 61.6% is aware of the latest developments
in normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. 58.7% of them treats
positively the initiative of normalizing the Armenian-Turkish
relations, 29.2% treats negatively and 12.1% is neutral. In the
opinion of 48.5% respondents, the protocols have no preconditions
and 37.2% considers that they have preconditions. 22.4% considers
that the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border is rather necessary
for Armenia, 16.3% for Turkey and 22% for Armenia and Turkey.
In the opinion of RA Public Council member Karine Danielian, very
often people do not answer sincerely to such questions. "They often
think that it is a check of how they treat the authorities," she
said. K. Danielian is among the few members of the Public Council
who thinks that the protocols contain more risks than positive
elements. "In my opinion, we are caught in a trap. The initiation
has already taken place, the process has started, the international
community has welcomed it. And if we renounce it now, we will meet
a very negative attitude," K. Danielian said.