“This issue is a little more complicated than Russia’s position on the Artsakh conflict. As far as Turkey is concerned, it is resolved not so much not only in Ankara, but, let’s not forget, Ankara is still an important ally of the United States and the West in general,” the head of the European Party of Armenia, Tigran Khzmalyan, said in response to Aravot Daily’s observation about how the Armenian authorities bring forth the peace agenda on the one hand, and they say that they have also seen such signals from Turkey, but on the other hand, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan described Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement about how the status of Artsakh should be finally clarified as a “result of a sick mood,” so Azerbaijan’s position is clear, as well as to the question about Russia’s position on Armenian-Turkish relations. According to Khzmalyan, as far as relations with Armenia are concerned, the United States and the West in general consider Armenia-Turkey relations, but not the Armenia-Russia-Turkey triangle.
He said, “In other words, Ankara is obviously playing a double game. If Azerbaijan definitely cooperated with Russia because of the Artsakh issue since the interests of Russia and Azerbaijan coincide there, Turkey has to take into account the views of the US and the EU. These views require analysis and public discussion in our country, which, unfortunately, does not exist. We take this issue very emotionally, which is natural. There is no atmosphere of sincerity and mutual trust in our country so that we can maneuver the situation cold-heartedly. And this policy with regard to Turkey requires composure and high-level diplomacy. But we do not have both. ”
According to Tigran Khzmalyan, the problem is that the main task for the West is to get Armenia out of Russia’s influence in matters related to Armenia. He clarified, “In the West they understand that all the problems connected with Armenia – military-political, social, economic – are connected with the fact that Armenia is still the colony of Russia. Then they try to use even the Turkish factor, trying to diversify the roads to the west for Armenia.” According to Tigran Khzmalyan, Armenia should start directly talking to Turkey, as well as to Azerbaijan, instead of through Russia. He explained, “In direct negotiations with Turkey, we can rely on the principle of the succession of the First Republic. Russia avoids that the most.” According to him, the Armenian-Turkish relations should be based on the principle that the United States did not sign or recognize the Lausanne Treaty, by which the Ottoman Empire officially became the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Regarding this, Tigran Khzmalyan added, “And the Turks know very well that in fact Turkey has been acting on the logic of the Treaty of Sevres for decades because the Turks did not develop or inhabit the historical Armenian territories east of the borders of the Treaty of Sevres. That process of settlement was left to the Kurds, and that is why Eastern Turkey or Western Armenia is still an underdeveloped semi-desert area for that very reason.”
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Looking at the problem from this point of view, Tigran Khzmalyan is sure that we have a lot of work to do. But he said, “But who should do it? Only a government that shares common values with the Western Democratic Alliance can receive Western support in these matters. If we are left alone against the three empires- Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkey- of course we will not be able to resist them.”
Tatev Harutyunyan
