“Over the past decade, qualitative changes have occurred in Turkey, both internal and external changes led to a new situation and the Armenia public has a misunderstanding about nowadays Turkish,” – such an opinion was expressed by the leading specialist of the Center for Regional Studies, also Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Davit Shahnazaryan, during the discussion of “Armenian-Turkish relations after the centenary of the Genocide. Meaning, memory and politics” held on September 8. The discussion was organized by the “Center for Globalization and Regional Cooperation” and the Armenian office of Friedrich Ebert Fund.
Davit Shahnazaryan agrees with the Chairman of the “Center for Globalization and Regional Cooperation” Stepan Grigoryan. It seems that both in Turkey and Armenia, the issue of the Armenian-Turkish relations has nothing to do with domestic agendas, but since the authorities are doing nothing, the civil societies and the analysts should work in triple and forth mode. The priorities of Turkey’s foreign policy: relations with the US, Israel and the EU, as estimated by Davit Shahnazaryan, are not priorities for Turkey for now. “Yes, with the motto of zero problems with neighbors, Turkey was left with no neighbors. For me and for many others, Turkey’s foreign policy priorities are not clear.” As observed by Davit Shahnazaryan, before Erdoğan’s government, if Turkey’s domestic politics depended on the outside, then, in the last ten years, the domestic policy totally determines the foreign policy. “Votes are more important for Erdoğan and he is ready for any changes in foreign policy and domestic policy”.
The speaker conditions the domestic political escalations in Turkey after the elections on June 7 with the problems that the ruling party has. Anyway, within the Armenia-Turkey international relations, David Shahnazaryan considers it reasonable to hope for major progress. He also does not share the rooted approach that in the Armenian-Turkish relations, Armenia is mainly interested in the opening of the border, while Ankara is interested in political relations. “Armenia was also interested in political relations,” said he adding that currently there is no situation of Armenian-Turkish relations and if something begins, then that the beginning will be in Ankara. “Official Ankara’s refusal of the Zurich protocols led to the tension between Yerevan and Ankara.”
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Davit Shahnazaryan does not see the alternative to détente. According to him, the issue of the Genocide does not hamper the Armenian-Turkish interstate relations, nor the fact that the Turkish press writes that Armenia has territorial claims from Turkey. As to which are the issues that hamper the settlement of the Armenian-Turkish relations, watch the video. In the fast-changing world, the Armenian-Turkish relations can be also changed quickly and according to the speaker, we need to be ready for it. “The more Turkey goes far away from the West, less became the role of Turkey in the Middle East region. Iran’s role is growing, because it raises its relations with the West,” opines Davit Shahnazaryan, adding Russia’s role regarding the influence in the region will be reduced and a competition will begin between Turkey and Iran. He does not think that Baku’s policy will be changed.
He also considers the role of Georgia very important, which has been positive – for 25 years, they managed to evade in the Armenia-Turkey-Azerbaijan relations. In the Armenia-Turkey interstate relations, as estimated by Davit Shahnazaryan, perhaps, in the future, there would not be a necessity for mediators and it will be the only way to eliminate the destructive Russia, because Russia with its mediation mission has always prevented the settlement of these relations. “The priority task is to lead to the lessening of the tension and the initiative is in Ankara,” concluded the ambassador.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
