Sami Kohen
According to the opposition in Armenia and the representatives of the Armenian diaspora, the latest agreement between Turkey and Armenia is a massive fiasco for them. They believe that the Armenian government gave up the stance that it has adopted up to this point, and made unacceptable concessions. Therefore Turkey has gained more from this.
On the other hand, the opponents of the agreement in Turkey think quite the contrary. They believe that the real concessive party is Turkey. Ankara stepped back in basic issues and offered the advantage to the Armenian side.
Such severe reactions are natural indeed, as seen in all agreements made for the solution of hard disputes. Those kinds of agreements can only be materialized with a “give and take” approach. In the end, the point is how people look at the balance between the “taken” and “given” or the empty or full side of the glass.
Different attitudeThe thing that the opposition in Armenia and especially the diaspora criticize the most about this agreement and blame the Serge Sarkisian government for is the genocide issue.
The initialized protocol states the establishment of a joint commission participated by foreign experts about this issue. This, as you would recall, is a suggestion that Turkey has always put forward. While accepting this, Sarkisian also gave up another point insisted by the Armenian side, namely the acceptance of genocide being a precondition in the negotiations.
This is actually a very important change of attitude by the Armenians. It is understandable that there are severe reactions in Armenia and especially the diaspora against the agreement, which brings together the study of genocide claims.
If the agreement is confirmed and put into force, the Armenian side will definitely lose its previous effectiveness about the genocide propaganda. The Armenian organizations“already taking up attempts at the congressional level demonstrates this.
Other articles of the protocol are also criticized by some in Armenia. These circles, for instance, argue that although Nagorno-Karabakh is not mentioned in the agreement, Turkey will tacitly combine the opening of borders with this issue and create pressure over Yerevan within this process. As evidence, they point to the latest statements of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto“lu..
The new processIn Turkey, the main complaint of the opponents of the agreement is that Nagorno-Karabakh is not mentioned in the protocol and this has not been put as a precondition for the opening of borders.
It is true that such a statement or precondition does not exist in the protocol. This, however, does not mean that Turkey will not put in any efforts for the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue in the new process and wait for some developments to take place first. Put more clearly, Turkey will adjust the approval of the protocols according to the developments in this issue. Therefore, the borders will not be opened immediately.
The Nagorno-Karabakh issue that has prevailed for years cannot be solved in a short period, of course. However, it can be expected that the Armenian forces withdraw from the seven regions surrounding it in a short time. It is seen that considerable improvement has been made in this regard thanks to the efforts of the Minsk group. This can be an important step.
Besides, Turkey's experiencing a process of convergence and dialogue provides the best opportunity for the solution of problems between Yerevan and Baku. It is worth asking about the benefits of the lack of normal relations between Turkey and Armenia in the previous years for the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan will be beneficial for both countries as well as Azerbaijan.
* Sami Kohen is a columnist for the daily Milliyet in which this piece appeared Friday. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.
Hurriyet Daily News
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