Interview with David Barchard, an expert on Turkish history, the Communications and Design Department at Bilkent University.
Q: What can you say about the decision of President Sargsyan to suspend the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey?
A: I am disappointed with this statement made in anticipation of April 24. It reflects the conditions established in the world and related to Armenia. But I hope this step will get the due assessment of the representatives of the world community that are interested in peace in the region.
Q: How will this decision affect the Karabakh settlement? For example, the Armenian analysts say that Sargsyan’s decision will push Turkey to greater compromises in the relations with Armenia and separation from the Azerbaijani-Turkish agreements.
A: The process has frozen and I hope there will be the required stimulation of the process by the world community in order to attain progress in this direction. People in Turkey are very principal in their attitude to the Azerbaijani factor in this issue. Meanwhile, the public opinion in Turkey is very sensitive to this problem and I would not say that the position of the position of the Turkish government coincides with it.
Q: Are you sure that Turkey will keep loyal to Azerbaijani interests in its ties with Armenia?
A: Yes, I think that Turkey will always keep promises given to Azerbaijan in line with the interests of its people.
Q: Obama did not use the word “genocide” in his message to the Armenian community on April 24. Does it mean changes in the attitude of official Washington to Turkey and regional problems?
A: No, this is just the repetition of events that have occurred earlier. I would like to repeat that former US president Bush Jr. also avoided this word, using ‘violence, termination’ and others. I think they will continue replacing the word ‘genocide’ with some other concept. However, Armenia continues putting pressure. This will continue unless the world does not create a more informed opinion regarding this issue and I am not quite sure that this will occur soon.
I do not expect great changes in the situation. It is obvious that the deterioration of the US-Turkish relations may cause many implications, in particular, this may affect the Injirlik base, which is a cornerstone of the US presence in Middle East.
Q: On the one hand, Armenians say they are ready to normalization and on the other hand they are trying to impose ‘genocide’ on the word. What do you think is the reason of such a discrepant position of Yerevan?
A: Here we can speak of the pressure put on Armenia. Probably, Sargsyan is not happy about his actions against Turkey. In particular, there was a strong pressure on the part of different forces in period on April 24. It is not surprising that the diaspora which has large material potential puts such a pressure on Armenia.
Q: Do you think the world will ever recognize independence of Nagorno Karabakh like it once recognized independence of Kosovo like Russia has already recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
A: I do not think this will happen as the situation in Nagorno Karabakh does not meet the relevant criteria.
On the whole, the recent history in Mediterranean and Black Sea region proves the serious mistakes in the US foreign policy. The same mistake is the creation of conditions for the greater rapprochement of Azerbaijan with Russia. I hope Americans will change their current approaches to solution of the regional problems.
News.Az
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