 Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani President suddenly phone called to the President of Turkey Abdullah Gul located in Oman. The bell rang during the official welcoming ceremony of the Turkish President in Oman, reported Armenian Public Television with the reference on Arab media. Despite the protocol violation, Aliyev demanded immediately pass the phone to Gul, inform the Arab media.
There is no information whether Aliyev’s demand was complied or not, but the extreme excitement of Azerbaijani President is understandable: Aliyev does not trust to the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan who is located in USA same as, Gul. Despite their assurances to protect Azerbaijani interests at Erdogan's meeting with the Presidents of Armenia and USA. Aliyev is well aware of the fact that for Turkey leaders interests of their own state prevail above the interests of Azerbaijan. Aliyev knows that Turkey now is in the sufficiently complex situation: it’s pressed by the USA, initiated Armenian-Turkish protocols, and at the same time President of Armenia S. Sargsyan repeatedly and unequivocally let know about Armenia’ unwillingness to negotiate with Turkey the question of regulating Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Finally, Azerbaijan perfectly well understands that Turkey’s promises to connect Armenian-Turkish protocols with the NKR’s problem are likely wishes, than reality. In the interview to "Regnum” Russian agency well-known Azerbaijani political scientist and conflictologist Arif Yunusov stated that Erdogan: "will do everything, in order to connect these two processes. Will it come true? Unlikely. I assume Turks understand it and attempt to calm official Baku in case of negative developments”.
Aliyev's phone call to Gul unambiguously showed that not only Yunusov understands it. Azerbaijan same as Turkey are behind Armenia in the diplomatic standoff. In case if anyone had any doubts about it before, then now after S. Sargsyan laid flowers on the grave of 29th US President Woodrow Wilson in Washington reassured them all. Serzh Sargsyan unequivocally gave to understand that a) Armenia and its President remain committed to the spirit and requirements of Armenia’s Constitution on captivated Armenian territories within the Turkish state territory; b) Armenia is not intended to waive the requirements for the recognition and condemnation of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
It appears to be that after this S. Sargsyan’s step even skeptics’ doubts had to evaporate on Armenia President’s position during the negotiations with Erdogan. The fact that Erdogan, after the meeting with Serj Sargsyan, left negotiation hall with the back door, became logical outcome of Armenia’s position presented by the President. Well-known Erdogan’s splendor immediately crumbled away as old plaster from the wall of not well-groomed room.
Immediately after the meeting with Erdogan, S. Sargsyan went to meet with representatives of Armenian Diaspora in USA. Along the meeting the President of Armenia briefly presented Armenia’s position on negotiations with Turkey. First, S. Sargsyan recalled that in recent months the entire world became the witness of Turkey’s fruitless attempts to split the Motherland and Diaspora, and then President stated: "There is no difference in opinions of Armenian people in Armenia and Diaspora, the Armenian nation is united, and it remains committed to its fair trial”.
The President of Armenia confirmed the intention of Armenia and Diaspora to seek the retribution for the Armenian Genocide occurred in Turkey. "We will pierce the stone of indifference, cynicism and hypocrisy. We have enough of patience, faith and endeavor”, stated S. Sargsyan.
Meanwhile almost all Turkish newspapers reported Erdogan’s statement in which he practically forewent the ratification of Armenian-Turkish protocols. According to "Sabah” Turkish newspaper, Erdogan after meeting with S. Sargsyan said: "We commit to protocol obligations; however, at present there is no appropriate political climate for the vote in Mejlis. Protocols would be rejected, if they enter (to the ratification) in Parliament now”. The information about this statement got reported by other Medias also. The Prime Minister of Turkey explained "unfavorable political climate” by the decisions of US Senate committee and Sweden Parliament on recognition of the events in Turkey of 1915-1923 as Armenian Genocide, as well as the resolution of the Constitutional Court of Armenia.
Noteworthy to mention that, in spite of Azerbaijani Medias "free inserts”, in Erdogan’s explanations Nagorno-Karabakh conflict wasn’t mention at all. However, Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister A. Davutoglu attempted to defuse the situation, by speaking to APA Azerbaijani news agency "one of the main targets of Zurich protocols was the release Azerbaijani land from the "occupation” (the quotes are ours - L.M.-Sh.) At the nonsense about Armenian-Turkish protocols, where neither NKR nor Azerbaijan mentioned can believe person, who strongly desires to be deceived. Caught in a fairly complicated political situation, Turkey forced to distance from the conflict between Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, whatever the Minister of its Foreign Affairs declared.
Turkish not-concealed desire to be among the OSCE Minsk group cochairmen and Azerbaijan’s expectations of it, also obtained rigorous resistance. "We do not intend, in any format, to make the subject of discussion the fact of Genocide or pretend to believe that Turkey can have any positive role in regulation of Karabakh’s conflict”, stated the President of Armenia in the capital of state, which Turkey sees as its main accomplice in bringing Ankara in a full negotiating process.
In a meantime, after all of Washington meetings in order to "save face” of the US President Barrack Obama, there is a chance of appearance of certain amorphous paper that would indicate the desire of Yerevan and Ankara to "continue the path of Armenian-Turkish relations normalization”.
Levon MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN
P.S. The article was ready for publication, when Turkish Foreign Minister’s spokesman Barack Ozugergin officially announced that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu didn’t give any interviews to APA Azerbaijani news agency. QED (quod erat demonstrandum).
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