Speaking to Today's Zaman, Alexander Iskandarian, director of the Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute, said Turkish-Armenian rapprochement should be evaluated at different levels of society. “Armenian government and pro-government forces,” Iskandarian noted, “are very much supportive of the initiative. They believe this is a huge step forward in Armenian foreign policy.” Talking about the opposition, Iskandarian was pessimistic, saying he does not expect it to lend its hand to bolster the initiative with Turkey. “The Armenian opposition is against relations between the two countries -- its sole reason being that they are in the opposition and need to criticize.” Speculating about views held by the Armenian public, the Armenian expert said it is too early to say how the Armenian public will see the latest initiative.
Speaking to a local TV station in Armenia on Monday, Artyom Yerkanian, an Armenian political expert, suggested that the agreement to establish ties could be signed at an October soccer match between the two countries to be held in Turkey. Turkish President Abdullah Gül visited Armenia in September 2008 to attend a soccer match between Turkey and Armenia, a move that has since been dubbed “soccer diplomacy.”
Armenian political expert and Caucasus Institute Deputy Director Sergey Minasyan spoke with the Azerbaijani Internet news portal Day.Az on protocols and bilateral relations between the two countries. The Armenian expert said, “Protocols made public by Armenia and Turkey first of all point to a new stage in the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and the willingness of the parties to continue the process, regardless of the complexity of the regional context.”
Richard Giragosian, head of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), said, “Clearly, the recent increased diplomatic and political activity over the new Turkish-Armenian ‘protocols' have brought a new sense of expectations and pressure on all sides.” Stressing the importance of the agreement, Giragosian warned, “But for Armenia, there is an added pressure from the Armenian diaspora, which is now very concerned over any agreement on normalizing relations with Turkey.” Noting that while the events of 1915 and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have always been a significant national issue for Armenians worldwide, there is also a new domestic political context, as the current Armenian government is under new pressure to ensure and protect the national interests and security of both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. In this way, this recent announcement will also pose a test for the Armenian leadership, as Armenians throughout the world will be closely watching and carefully listening to every gesture and each word in the weeks ahead.”
Pointing out that the biggest danger is likely to come from the opposition to halt the ongoing process, Giragosian said, “At the same time, the current Armenian government remains under constant attack by the country's opposition, thereby raising the stakes and increasing expectations as well as exacerbating the pressure already being exerted on Yerevan.”
Kiro Manoyan, a member of the Armenian opposition Dashnaktsutyun party, said the latest initiative to normalize Armenian-Turkish relations is just a Turkish ruse to keep Armenia in the game. “Signed documents are not guarantees for the real establishment of diplomatic relations,” Manoyan told the Armenian press.
