“No one is any more interested in Serzh Sargsyan’s steps. His real power is actually over, and the chance of being reproduced is virtually zero. It remains to extend the time with lenient policy until the end of the term. To execute it with minimum resistance, it’s necessary to do a little bit of public-friendly and opposition-friendly steps, i.e. neutral staffing, formal announcements, and more”, said political scientist Armen Aghayan in the interview with Aravot.am, referring to President Serzh Sargsyan’s recently expressed observations regarding Armenian-Turkish relations. On the other hand, according to Armen Aghayan, Serzh Sargsyan is also trying to justify his blatant mistakes of the past. To remind that recently Serzh Sargsyan talking about Armenian-Turkish protocols observed that all of the previous skepticisms about them were groundless. To the question of “Armenpress” news agency as to what prospects awaits to these protocols, the President’s Spokesperson also said that a statement will be voiced in the coming days regarding thereof. “As for signing of Serzh-Turkish protocols (it’s a crime to call them Armenian-Turkish) was not merely wrong, but the most real crime perpetrated against the Armenian nation. I have never believed in the tales about the external pressures on this matter as I had read the provisions of these protocols two years ago in Tigran Sargsyan’s composed “the end of the state” program. I am sure that this was entirely Serzh Sargsyan’s and Tigran Sargsyan’s initiative, which fortunately failed. But how it failed. Serzh Sargsyan is trying to overthrow the responsibility of failure over Ankara. But, what actually happened. Yerevan, at its own initiative, has promised to go for unilateral concessions: fixation of the Armenian-Turkish dividing line as a recognized border, and surrender of Artsakh territories based on the Madrid principles, as well as the de-politicization of the Genocide issue. To which of these concessions should Ankara be against?” said our interlocutor, noting that no one in Turkey objected, whereas in Armenia, there were demonstrations. “In those days, the ARF party, being in the marginal of ruling poles, all of a sudden, managed to hold more crowded rally than Ter-Petrosyan. The same is in overseas. The government was forced to retreat, the Constitutional Court’s interpretations tool was played. Ankara, being convinced that Armenia, sooner or later, will be compelled to go for complete concessions, did not want to retreat and the protocols were not ratified. In other words, ratification of protocols was failed by the Armenian people. But it was also Serzh Sargsyan’s and Tigran Sargsyan’s first major political failure, and now all the explanations and justifications are meaningless.” To our observation of whether one can assume from the interview of President’s Spokesperson regarding the statement on the future of Armenian-Turkish protocols that Armenia may possibly withdraw its signature, Armen Aghayan said, “I do not know what political statements Speokesperson Saghatelyan was hinting on, but I know that random people cannot express solid position about Armenian-Turkish relations. The current administration has neither sufficient capacity, nor has ever been notable with national mentality to say something serious. With possible formal statements, they either will try to be friendly with people, and get rid of the image of surrender-traitor, or will try to improve relations with the Diaspora, and also ARF. Perhaps, the hopes of the latter to be involved in coalition are not yet lost. In all cases, such statement, no matter of its content, would hardly be associated with the developments of foreign policy”.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
