The opposition Member of Parliament of Turkey, Garo Paylan was in Armenia. As in all other cases, in this case similarly the attitude of our society was extremist. For one part he is the hero of the nation, the embodiment of the Armenian dreams cherished for centuries, for the other part he is a spy sent by Erdogan from Turkey. I think these both extremes based on sole emotions, do not have any connection with reality. Let me remind the people for the theory of conspiracy that in Armenia there are no secrets that Paylan can know and inform the leader of his country.
But from the other side, we should not forget that we deal with the citizen of Turkey, the member of the parliament of this country, regardless of him being an opposition. But being opposition is not of a very big significance in this case. It is difficult to suppose that opposition representative Mane Tandilyan and pro-governmental Armen Ashotyan will express diametrically different overviews in Baku, is it not?
Paylan’s view on Genocide and Armenian-Turkish relations differs from the approaches of the official Ankara, simultaneously it is very natural that the MP of Turkey expresses the interests of his state. As he understands by himself. Consequently, to ask him when the Armenian flag will wave on the top of Ararat, is at least impoliteness.
The struggle which Paylan and his party – People’s Democratic Party conduct is for democracy, the inseparable part of which they consider the equality of nations, the rights of the national minorities living in Turkey. The speech about Genocide should be viewed in this very context. Is that agenda favorable to us? I think – yes, regardless of by what in depth reasons the political party formulates the given agenda.
To divide the world into friends and enemies, to expect from friends merely a friendly behavior and get disappointed from why people, states, nations behave themselves not as expected – all that is characteristic of people and peoples having not experience, in this case – a political and state experience. It seems to me that our MPs should actively work, cooperate with Paylan and his party within the scopes of the coinciding state interests of both countries. Naturally, they should try to communicate with the Turkish Parliament and other factions as well, if the latter express their will. Naturally, I do not have any illusion towards the aims of the current leaders of Turkey and Azerbaijan: overall, their aim is not to allow not only any Armenian state but also any Armenian in that region. But that – “overall”, separate from which there are shades, inner contradictions, strategic issues, etc, that is – all which is commonly called “politics”. And here we have a massive field to work in.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
