 In my recent article ("One nation - different problems”) I defined Ahmed Davutoglu (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey) words, quoted by APA Azerbaijani news Agency as nonsense. I was convinced that Minister could not say: "one of the main targets of Zurich protocols was the release of Azerbaijani land from the "occupation” (the quotes are ours - L.M.-Sh.). To prove absurdity of it let’s recall, that Azerbaijan is not mentioned in Zurich protocols at all. As to confirm my beliefs Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey on its official site reported that Davutoglu didn’t give any interviews to APA Agency and therefore he couldn’t say this or any other absurdities.
Among other absurdities meant Davutoglu’s answer to a question about the attention paid to Nagorno-Karabakh’s conflict during the meeting of the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan with the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Erdogan. According to APA, Davutoglu said: "As always, this issue was essential. Our Prime Minister is very interested in clarifying to the Armenian leader sensitive points of Nagorno- Karabakh’s conflict”. Problem didn’t consist of the fact that Erdogan can "explain” nothing to S. Sargsyan (unless, the discussion would be on the state of Istanbul’s water-intake systems), but of the fact that Prime Minister of Turkey could allow himself to explain to the President of Armenia some "sensitive points of Nagorno-Karabakh’s conflict”. And do not receive cold and pushing away answer. However the answer of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey satisfied me as the citizen of Armenia.
However, story obtained quite piquant continuation. Davutoglu was forced to order the refutation of the APA’s article after he got caught by the hand. During the dinner given by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in honor of Ministers of Foreign Affairs arrived to the Summit on Nuclear Safety, Edward Nalbandyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia addressed to his Turkish colleague with a proposal to clarify the interview published by APA. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey had to forego the text of interview and he even ordered (!? - L.M.-Sh) to remove the interview from the APA portal.
Azerbaijani agency protested, and refused to satisfy the demand of another state’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Moreover, APA published "Special message”, where expressed the regret on the arisen problem in connection with the publication of A. Davutoglu’s interview. APA also reported who and how interviewed him. According to the APA Davutoglu was interviewed by Agency accredited journalist I. Levin, who confirmed the reliability of the information.
Frankly, in this case I have no reasons do not believe I. Levin and APA news Agency. Moreover, I am almost convinced that if Ahmed Davutoglu continues to insist on refuting his own words, then APA would be able to pull the interview tape. It’s possible since APA could not publish "special message” convicting in lie the Minister of Foreign Affairs without the knowledge or permission of Azerbaijani President’s Administration. Davutoglu understands this fact; therefore he would probably prefer do not remember this incident at all.
Is it allowed for him to do that? Let’s start from the fact that published in APA Davutoglu statements really took place. Minister of Foreign Affairs misleading the readers of Azerbaijani news Agency, not only tried to please Baku friends: but intentionally fibbed to encourage thereby Azerbaijan in its territorial claims on NKR. Along the way Davutoglu played popularity of its Prime Minister in nationalistically oriented Turkish voters. Davutoglu went back down only because of the quarrel awareness in the presence of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
Unfortunately, E. Nalbandyan unwittingly played along with him by reporting to Armenian journalists: "Ahmed Davutoglu assured me that he didn’t give any interviews to the APA Azerbaijani Agency”. Ahmed Davutoglu can assure whatever he wants, but facts say otherwise. Hard do not agree with E. Nalbandyan’s warning: "Azerbaijani Mass Media should not be implicitly trusted”, but, I am confident: same could be said about the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Davutoglu. Is it worthwhile to save the esprit de corps of cheating and stained Turkish minister? Especially, whereas, he casts a shadow on credibility of the Armenian society toward the President of Armenia.
Ahmed Davutoglu gave the interview to APA, and there could not be two opinions about it. There are no doubts on the fact that Davutoglu in his interview reproduced the lie. This lie was refuted by the same E. Nalbandyan when he quoted Serzh Sargsyan’s response on Erdogan’s doomed attempt to link Armenian-Turkish relations with the Nagorno-Karabakh’s problem: "I do not see reasons to discuss this question with the Turkish side”.
Yerevan is not going to agree on the intent of Turkey to be among the mediators for regulating Nagorno-Karabakh’s conflict. President of Armenia repeatedly stated it; for example Serzh Sargsyan told it to Davutoglu on inauguration ceremony of Ukraine’s President V. Yanukovich. The President stated the same in Washington, in his speech at the Washington cathedral. For this reason, Davutoglu’s interview to APA should be considered as an attempt to sow distrust between the President of Armenia and the Armenian people.
These tricks of Turkish Foreign Minister should not remain ignored. Clearly, APA, as many other Azerbaijani agencies, often err "correcting” interviews, and it’s easy to charge them for replicated lies. However, this time it’s different. The source of lies is Foreign Minister of Turkey. A. Davutoglu now is in a position of not credible negotiator; it must be stated loudly and clearly.
I do not exclude, that our complacency in this question let Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to state at the briefing in Washington: "In the text of Armenian-Turkish protocols signed in Zurich along with the phrase "without preconditions” there is another very important phrase: "to establish peace in the region”. "Can we, set aside Azerbaijan in the context of insuring peace in the region?”, answered Erdogan to the reporter, recalling S. Sargsyan's phrase: "Turkey cannot speak the preconditions language with Armenia and Armenians. We, simply, will not allow it”.
This seems interesting, but in Zurich protocols there is no "very important phrase” "to establish peace in the region”…! Doubters could examine protocols on the sites of Foreign Affairs Minister of Armenia and Turkey. Sides only "confirm their commitment to the peaceful settlement of regional, and ethic conflicts on the basis of international law principles”. Only sick fantasy could assume that it talks about Armenia’s obligation. However, if Turkey would assume this same phrase as its own obligation, then there are a lot of unsolved tasks. For example, the issue of withdrawing Azeri snipers from Azerbaijan NKR’s border, or coercing Baku to the mutual with Nagorno-Karabakh obligations of nonuse force in regulating Nagorno- Karabakh’s conflict. Let me remind, these Armenian side’s proposals were supported by mediators and rejected by Azerbaijan. Azeri mothers must know that death of their sons on the border occurs only due to I. Aliyev's commitment to military solution of the conflict.
There is a cliché: unpunished evil multiplies! Since caught on the lie Davutoglu wasn’t stigmatized, therefore Erdogan began to boggle. If Erdogan would be forgiven in his attempt to mislead community, then tomorrow there will be third, twenty fifth, the five thousandth…
The thief caught by the hand and the liar caught on the lie should not be released.
Levon MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN
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