“Armenia has never been against establishing relations with Turkey. Now a false anti-propaganda is being carried out that we are against it, which does not correspond to reality. Armenia has simply never been in favor of establishing relations according to the rules and preconditions of the Turkish game, which are directly related to our state and national identity,” The dean of YSU Faculty of Oriental Studies, turkologist Ruben Melkonyan stated during the public discussion on the Armenian-Turkish relations during the protest for saving Artsakh and demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation on April 21. According to him, although it is officially announced that the Armenia-Turkey dialogue continues without preconditions, in reality the Turkish preconditions presented to Armenia are on the agenda in the strictest style. “They are increasing and have tendencies to increase: a pro-Azerbaijani solution to the Artsakh issue, genocide issue, recognition of Turkey’s territorial integrity, the Kars Treaty.
These three are on Turkey’s agenda. After the occupation of a large part of Artsakh, Turkey now demands that Armenia officially recognize Artsakh as Azerbaijani. Isn’t this the same precondition? If before they said to return Artsakh, now they say that you should recognize the rest of Azerbaijan, after which the relations will start. The Turkish President and Foreign Minister have spoken about it several times. In the past, Turkey demanded the cessation of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, but now it says that Armenia must stop spreading hostility based on the past. It is only the memory of the Armenian Genocide and its open wound in our country. In other words, the Turkish precondition remains: Armenia must stop the international recognition of the genocide.” On the other hand, as Ruben Melkonyan mentioned, Ilham Aliyev, in his turn, demands from Armenia that if Armenia wants to have relations with Turkey, it should revise the constitution.
“The mentioned issue also has a legal sub-layer, which refers to the point of the declaration of independence, according to which Armenia is committed to the international recognition of the genocide. Third, Armenia has never had territorial claims against Turkey, but Turkey’s demand is to recognize the Kars agreement, and this is on the agenda. There is no setback from the preconditions. When it is presented to the public that they are having a relationship without preconditions, it is a lie, a forgery and has no justification. There is another thesis about “positive signals.”
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The government claims that it receives such signals from Turkey. Let me tell the public as a specialist. Most Turkologists or those who have the right to be called Turkologists do not see any positive message. It is the same as the doctor saying they do not see positive progress in the patient, but the hospital guard saying they see it.” Ruben Melkonyan also emphasized that the author of the mentioned is the enemy state, but it is a great tragedy that various dangerous theses are sounded from the tribune of the RA National Assembly, which are aimed at weakening the vigilance of the RA people, presenting an imaginary good Turkey, which does not exist in reality. “Unfortunately, such theses are also based on some pro-government research. The public is under ‘fire,’ on one hand from the enemy state, and from the inside on the other.”
In response to the question of if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited him as a specialist for a conversation or discussion in connection with this process, Ruben Melkonyan answered, “No, and I’m happy about that. I am not ready to discuss the interests of the Republic of Armenia with the representatives of this force because I can not discuss with the representatives of a force that has violated and destroyed those interests for four years, who speak of good Turks in the National Assembly, removing anti-Turkism from the Armenian identity, and the golden mountains expected from Turkey, which violate the red lines of nation, statehood, history. Even if there are meetings with experts, they are for the form and not for the content. We, as specialists, have professional knowledge and knowledge and have no right to sin against our professional conscience and present false information to the people, a Turkey which, according to the ruling power, is very good and kind, but in reality does not exist.”
Luiza Sukiasyan
