Artashes Geghamyan: “Armenia doesn't refuse the history, but is ready to normalization of the relations with Turkey”

The relations of Armenia and Turkey are very difficult subject. No matter what they say, but one and a half million victims of Genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire won't be forgotten never. The history always influences the policy, but, it appears, even in the most difficult situation it is possible to pursue pragmatic policy, without having renounced the national interests.

The deputy of National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia from Republican Party of Armenia, the head of constant delegation of the National Assembly in the Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE, the chairman of the party “National Unity” (www.amiab.am) Artashes Geghamyan told us about what are the relations of two neighbouring countries today and what defines them:

- Let's begin with “football diplomacy”. The news that the presidents of Armenia and Turkey will meet on football matches of the national teams became the real sensation. Was it easy to the president of Armenia to make such step?

– It was the extremely difficult and extremely crucial decision. I always warmly treated Serge Sargsyan though we much argued in due time, but has to tell that this decision of the president of Armenia made strong impression on me: it was the action of the real statesman. You are right, the historical memory always influences the policy of the states, but wisdom of statesmen consists that to learn the correct lessons from own history and to subordinate the pursued foreign policy to the nation and state benefit.

At such approach even in the most difficult situation it is possible to pursue the pragmatic policy without having renounced the national interests. In a word, the catchwords of the wise British prime minister lord Palmerston: “Therefore I claim that it is short-sighted to consider this or that country as the invariable ally or the eternal enemy of England. We have no invariable allies, we have no eternal enemies. Only our interests are invariable and eternal and our debt is to follow them (from the speech in the House of Commons on March 1, 1848)” didn't lose the relevance today.

The president of the Republic of Armenia drew the fire on himself and was subjected to sharp criticism from outside, I won't tell, that of not patriots, but as showed further events, not so far-sighted politicians. The criticism was distributed and from our diaspora. But the president assumed all responsibility for process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. Further the actions of the president served the interests of the Armenian state.

Today Armenia in this question proved itself as the high-noble state responsible for the destinies of the world in the region which found the state wisdom, courage and foresight, without refusing one page of the tragic story of the beginning of the 20th century, however, accepted a course on normalization of the relations with Turkey for the sake of future generations.

– However, there is such point of view that this most “football diplomacy” gave nothing – there are no tangible results …

– Those who claim that doesn't understand the geopolitics questions at all, artificially isolates Armenia from the global processes happening in the region of the Big Middle East. Today the president of Armenia has the full moral authority to act from a position of the national leader who doesn't ask from leaders of the centres of force of the world politics and demands from them adequate impact on the Turkish authorities as showed time not ready to normalization of the relations with Armenia.

He has the right to say: our dear friends and partners in the USA, you always insisted on that Armenia would go on the way of normalization of the relations with Turkey through “I can't” and we made this step. The European Union also consistently aimed Armenia at these actions, and Russia wasn't against. But what we see today? Why the authorities of Turkey at your silence ignored further the policy initiated by you?! Why did you set us up?

I, of course, in due time refrained to tell to the president of Armenia about conversation which I will tell to you now. The matter is that I had very interesting meeting with the president of Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE Ricardo Milyiori. On sessions of Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE in Monaco, after the election as the president, he invited me to get acquainted as with the head of parliamentary delegation of Armenia.

And when on his initiative the speech came about the relations of Armenia with Turkey, I told such thing: The European Union and the USA had to guess and put forward two presidents as the candidates in Nobel prize winners of the world: Armenian – Serge Sargsyan and Turkish – Abdullah Gül. Because the process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations begun by them was a courageous act! After all after signing Zurich protocols on October 10th, 2009, nobody knew how will it end and what it is fraught with … As they speak in Russia in such cases: we'll see what we'll see; you never can tell …

In case of award of the Nobel Prize of the world to presidents of our countries, Gül simply would have no place as to achieve the ratification of the Zurich protocols by the Turkish parliament and to act as the advocate of development of good-neighbourhood with Armenia!

Mister Milyiori told in reply that it is very interesting idea, but we should have met earlier. I noticed: it is not late yet …

– Nevertheless, a monument in Kars, though not so beautiful, was broken. And all saw a sign in it.

– Yes, the monument was, of course, untalented, but first of all the act of philosophy is important here. The next manifestation of vandalism the Turkish authorities shifted, of course, on the switchman whom there was a mayor of Kars. But we perfectly understand how these things become. The essence is that Turkey showed both to the citizens and foreign policy partners the true position. And made it in the following way that the doubts didn't remain.

If the matter is about the signs, I want to tell about a unique course which was made by Russia here. At the same time, as Vladimir Putin, then the prime minister of the Russian Federation, met in Turkey the colleague Recep Erdogan, the president of Russia of that time Dmitry Medvedev together with our president Serge Sargsyan participated in opening ceremony "The Honour Hill" in 2010 in the city of Gyumri, a memorial complex of burial of officers of the Russian Empire with the Saint Michael's Cathedral, fallen in the Russian-Turkish wars. The memorial complex is located near the Armenian-Turkish border. This monument of military glory was based in 1856 by order of the commander-in-chief of the Caucasian corps of general Muravyev. Then many years he was in a sad condition and at last, is restored!

“The Glory Hill” glorifies the Russian valour and the Armenian-Russian military brotherhood. We always together beat the Turks and I will remind there were twelve Russian-Turkish wars!

– Disturbing events occur in the Middle East. Certainly, first of all, it is a question of Syria. Don’t it seems to you, that Turkey behaves as a certain gendarme who received not particularly from whom the powers on establishing order in others country?

– The matter is that Erdogan wants to position himself as such newly appeared leader of a neo-Osmanizm. In principle he is a strong leader for Turkey. He can be compared with Turgut Ozal who was poisoned under still obscure circumstances. It wouldn't be desirable to speak half-words, but Ozal was almost ready to recognize the genocide of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, but it isn't connected with versions about his poisoning. There is a version that he wanted to agree with Kurds about giving to territories of their compact accommodation of a wide autonomy that many of the high-ranking military ranks and policy categorically didn't wish. Today it should be noted that Erdogan actively acts on the international scene – even where earlier Turkey didn't influence the events in any way. For example, he became an activist of bloody events in Libya, interfered with a course of events in Egypt.

Now all Islamic East, apparently, is in a condition of chaos. But actually this chaos is controllable and copes by the West. According to very authoritative experts the crucial role in it is played by the USA, England and France which in fact are the think-tank on formation of a new world order in the region of the Big Middle East. Meanwhile, the Turkish prime minister very well understands that Muslims of this region will reckon only with those leaders who are the devout Muslims. And here objectively there is a need for such leader. As they say, nature abhors a vacuum and here is such politician who assumes also an explanation of that occurs, and puts forward new slogans! It is done also by Erdogan.

Its voice will be heard as he is the leader of quite successful country in respect of national economy. Even in the conditions of world financial and economic crisis Turkey develops very dynamically, shows economic growth.

And as for the conflict to Israel in connection with capture by the Israeli Naval Forces of the Turkish vessel “Mavi Marmara”, trying to break through blockade of Gaza in the night of May 31, 2010, a number of sources considers that this conflict was provoked by Turkish politicians and has the far-fetched character, pursuing to aim-fuel tension with Israel to act as the defender of interests of the Palestinian people and further to use the received dividends for strengthening of the influence in the region of the Big Middle East torn apart by bloodsheds.

Recep Erdogan already positions himself as the regional leader, moreover, in the rudeness and impudence he reaches that publicly thanks Russia that it recognized independence of Palestine on General Assembly of the UN. You see Erdogan thanks on behalf of the Palestinian people! Isn’t it the manifestation of recurrence of neo-Osmanizm? He already feels himself as a certain moderator, the curator of the processes happening in this region. Such things, has to tell you, have very distant sight.

So, taking into account everything that occurs today in Syria and round it gets special sense. After all, no matter what they say now about Syria, but Bashar Assad for one year and eight months resists not to the paramilitary groups for some reason called by oppositionists, but very powerful circles from the centres of force of the world politics and also Turkey. Syria is a penultimate base on a way of advance of neo-Ottoman ambitions! They want to subordinate Syria, to be exact, to create operated chaos there. There is the bright example: a year ago the people demanded to hang up Mubarak on Tahrir Square in Egypt and today demand to make the same with Murcia!

Bloodshed continuation in Syria, further disintegration of this country will lead that Iran appear in absolute isolation. It would be desirable to remind that in this case the exclusive strategic importance will be gained by 46 kilometer Armenian-Iranian border around Megri, and also about 110 kilometers of border on perimeter of the freed territory which is supervised by Army of defence of Nagorno-Karabakh. Thus, it becomes clear: today there was such situation that the destinies of establishment of peace in our region are not decided, but the destinies of the world!

– There are analysts who predict that if the Third World War will begin, it happens exactly here …

– When Vladimir Putin was recently in Turkey with working visit, he told very rigid thing there. He, with inherent to him humour and tranquillity, let know that American missile systems “Petriota” already rather became outdated in comparison with modern Russian equipment … That is, the president of Russia let know that you shouldn't place “Petriotas” near its borders – it is a barrier if suddenly it would be necessary to neutralize system of air defence of Turkey.

So, I think, Turkey won't decide now on risky military adventures. You shouldn't forget also about the sharpest for the modern Turkey Kurdish problem. How do you believe, were the president of Iraq and the president of the Iraq Kurdistan and the leader of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Massoud Barzani casually few months ago in Moscow?! All these nuances, it isn't necessary to doubt, are already analysed by carefully Turkish politicians. Especially as the USA now work much more carefully and circumspectly than at the time of George Bush Jr. with his cowboy's swoops.

– In such situation it is not easy for Armenia.

– Yes, the foreign policy situation developing in the region of the Big Middle East is very difficult. It is necessary to possess the state wisdom to have partnership with the European Union, very good relations with the USA, normal with Georgia, good-neighbourhood with Iran, and, of course, the allied and brotherly relations with Russia. Today such relations were improved by the Republic of Armenia with the above-mentioned countries. Well and we already talked about Turkey …