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DASHNAK LEADER BLASTS ARMENIA'S 'FAILED' POLICY ON TURKEY
Emil Danielyan, Ruben Meloyan
22.04.2009
Hrant Markarian, Armenian politician, top leader of ARF party
The top leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) harshly criticized on Wednesday President Serzh
Sarkisian's policy toward Turkey, saying that it has only harmed
Armenia and earned Ankara a role in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process. (UPDATED)
The extraordinary statement by Hrant Markarian, the de facto head of
Dashnaktsutyun's worldwide governing Bureau, could further strain
relations between Sarkisian and the influential nationalist party
represented in his coalition government. It already threatened last
week to quit the government if the upcoming municipal elections in
Yerevan are marred by serious fraud.
"The Armenian side must acknowledge that it has been defeated in this
stage of Turkish-Armenian fence-mending negotiations," Markarian
said, dismissing Sarkisian's recent assurances that Armenia will
"emerge stronger" from the year-long dialogue even if Turkey refuses
to unconditionally normalize relations with it.
"One year ago we were saying that Armenia stands for normalizing
relations with Turkey without preconditions while Turkey sets
preconditions.
We presented ourselves to the world as a peace-loving nation, whereas
Turkey was seen as a crude and inexplicable=2 0state," Markarian
said. The situation has since changed dramatically, he added in a
speech during a public seminar on Turkish-Armenian relations.
The event underscored Dashnaktsutyun's growing unease over the
unprecedented Turkish-Armenian rapprochement that began shortly after
Sarkisian took office in April last year. The Bureau urged Yerevan in
December to exercise caution in this process, saying that the Turks
are exploiting it to scuttle greater international recognition of
the Armenian genocide.
Dashnaktsutyun, which also has branches in all major Armenian
communities abroad, has traditionally favored a harder line on
Turkey. Its leader's open criticism of Sarkisian followed growing
indications that Ankara is again linking the establishment of
diplomatic relations with Yerevan and reopening of the Turkish-Armenian
border with a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Markarian claimed that the Armenian side itself allowed the Turkish
government to renew that linkage. "One year ago, Turkey did not
have a moral right to even express views on the Karabakh issue as
it wasn't considered a party [to the conflict,]" he said. "Today it
is being presented as a party. It is already becoming clear why the
Karabakh issue should be solved also for normalizing Turkish-Armenian
relations."
Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian insisted earlier this
month t hat Karabakh has not been on the agenda of the Turkish-Armenian
dialogue.
They also ruled out any Turkish mediation of Armenian-Azerbaijani
peace talks.
Markarian also expressed concern at reports that a tentative agreement
reached by the two governments earlier this year envisages the creation
of a joint commission to study the 1915-1918 mass killings of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire as well as Armenia's explicit recognition of its
current border with Turkey. "If there were some agreements on forming
some commission of historians ... and if there was any intention on
Karabakh and the recognition of Turkey's territorial integrity and
the existing border, we must abandon all of that," he said.
Dashnaktsutyun repeatedly warned Sarkisian last year against agreeing
to the creation of such a commission which was proposed by the Turkish
side in 2005 and rejected by then President Robert Kocharian. The
warnings came after Sarkisian indicated that he does not object to
the proposal in principle.
Many in Armenia and especially its Diaspora view it as a Turkish
ploy designed to deter more countries, notably the United States,
from recognizing the Armenian massacres as genocide.
Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official insisted on Wednesday that Turkey's
leadership remains committed to normalizing ties with Armenia and
that the two sides are still "working very hard" to achieve t hat
objective. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza held
what he described as "very fruitful" talks in Ankara over the weekend.
"I had some very fruitful discussions in Turkey where it became clear
to me how serious Turkey is about normalizing relations with Armenia,"
Bryza told RFE/RL in Yerevan. "It's a very complex mix of issues in
Turkey. There are strong opinions in Turkey as in Armenia about whether
or not to go forward, whether or not other issues need to be involved."
"What I can say is that I sense that the top leaders in Turkey really
are committed to opening a completely new historical and positive
phase in relations with Armenia in pursuit of a common Anatolian home,"
he said.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated this
month that the 16-year Turkish economic blockade of Armenia will not
be lifted without a Karabakh settlement that would satisfy Azerbaijan.
Emil Danielyan, Ruben Meloyan
22.04.2009
Hrant Markarian, Armenian politician, top leader of ARF party
The top leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) harshly criticized on Wednesday President Serzh
Sarkisian's policy toward Turkey, saying that it has only harmed
Armenia and earned Ankara a role in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process. (UPDATED)
The extraordinary statement by Hrant Markarian, the de facto head of
Dashnaktsutyun's worldwide governing Bureau, could further strain
relations between Sarkisian and the influential nationalist party
represented in his coalition government. It already threatened last
week to quit the government if the upcoming municipal elections in
Yerevan are marred by serious fraud.
"The Armenian side must acknowledge that it has been defeated in this
stage of Turkish-Armenian fence-mending negotiations," Markarian
said, dismissing Sarkisian's recent assurances that Armenia will
"emerge stronger" from the year-long dialogue even if Turkey refuses
to unconditionally normalize relations with it.
"One year ago we were saying that Armenia stands for normalizing
relations with Turkey without preconditions while Turkey sets
preconditions.
We presented ourselves to the world as a peace-loving nation, whereas
Turkey was seen as a crude and inexplicable=2 0state," Markarian
said. The situation has since changed dramatically, he added in a
speech during a public seminar on Turkish-Armenian relations.
The event underscored Dashnaktsutyun's growing unease over the
unprecedented Turkish-Armenian rapprochement that began shortly after
Sarkisian took office in April last year. The Bureau urged Yerevan in
December to exercise caution in this process, saying that the Turks
are exploiting it to scuttle greater international recognition of
the Armenian genocide.
Dashnaktsutyun, which also has branches in all major Armenian
communities abroad, has traditionally favored a harder line on
Turkey. Its leader's open criticism of Sarkisian followed growing
indications that Ankara is again linking the establishment of
diplomatic relations with Yerevan and reopening of the Turkish-Armenian
border with a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Markarian claimed that the Armenian side itself allowed the Turkish
government to renew that linkage. "One year ago, Turkey did not
have a moral right to even express views on the Karabakh issue as
it wasn't considered a party [to the conflict,]" he said. "Today it
is being presented as a party. It is already becoming clear why the
Karabakh issue should be solved also for normalizing Turkish-Armenian
relations."
Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian insisted earlier this
month t hat Karabakh has not been on the agenda of the Turkish-Armenian
dialogue.
They also ruled out any Turkish mediation of Armenian-Azerbaijani
peace talks.
Markarian also expressed concern at reports that a tentative agreement
reached by the two governments earlier this year envisages the creation
of a joint commission to study the 1915-1918 mass killings of Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire as well as Armenia's explicit recognition of its
current border with Turkey. "If there were some agreements on forming
some commission of historians ... and if there was any intention on
Karabakh and the recognition of Turkey's territorial integrity and
the existing border, we must abandon all of that," he said.
Dashnaktsutyun repeatedly warned Sarkisian last year against agreeing
to the creation of such a commission which was proposed by the Turkish
side in 2005 and rejected by then President Robert Kocharian. The
warnings came after Sarkisian indicated that he does not object to
the proposal in principle.
Many in Armenia and especially its Diaspora view it as a Turkish
ploy designed to deter more countries, notably the United States,
from recognizing the Armenian massacres as genocide.
Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official insisted on Wednesday that Turkey's
leadership remains committed to normalizing ties with Armenia and
that the two sides are still "working very hard" to achieve t hat
objective. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza held
what he described as "very fruitful" talks in Ankara over the weekend.
"I had some very fruitful discussions in Turkey where it became clear
to me how serious Turkey is about normalizing relations with Armenia,"
Bryza told RFE/RL in Yerevan. "It's a very complex mix of issues in
Turkey. There are strong opinions in Turkey as in Armenia about whether
or not to go forward, whether or not other issues need to be involved."
"What I can say is that I sense that the top leaders in Turkey really
are committed to opening a completely new historical and positive
phase in relations with Armenia in pursuit of a common Anatolian home,"
he said.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly stated this
month that the 16-year Turkish economic blockade of Armenia will not
be lifted without a Karabakh settlement that would satisfy Azerbaijan.