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AMANDA PAUL MAKES TOTAL U-TURN: VARUJAN KARAPETYAN AND RAMIL SAFAROV CASES ARE INCOMPARABLE
ARMENPRESS
1 November, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: "I was badly informed and then
I checked it with the French ministry of Interior. I can fully
admit that I was mistaken. These cases are totally incomparable. The
Safarov case is completely different." says the expert of the European
Policy Center (EPC) and columnist for "Today's Zaman" Amanda Paul
in an interview provided to Armenpress. Generally known for her
pro-Azeri and pro-Turkish views, she now made a strong turn-around:
"The Safarov case definitely made it harder to solve the conflict,
as it increased the animosity mainly from Armenian side towards
Azerbaijan for pretty natural reasons. And I think we have undermined
all the confidence building measures from civil society and NGOs that
were going on in the region." On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Paul
now suggests the inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations,
while advertising that the population of Karabakh must be represented
including the Azeri minority: "if the end result is that they have
to be resettled in Nagorno-Karabakh then they also need to be a part
of the process, part of the talks too." Paul drew a comparison with
Cyprus where she praises the constructiveness of the much larger Greek
Cypriot community, as it accepts the Turkish Cypriot community as a
negotiating partner. Paul used to go under the name of Amanda Akcakoca,
when she was married to a Turk. Asked about any potential bias to her
work she strongly claims that there is none: "I don't think Turkey has
a role to play in Nagorno-Karabakh; it only had a counterproductive
role. Turkey needs to stay out of that, it only makes things go
backwards. So, it's very easy for people to say that she is married
to a Turk and that makes her biased, but that's not true." Paul chose
not to mention that she is also ethnically half-Turkish and has been
strongly socialized into political circles in Baku and Ankara.
Asked to comment on Paul's surprisingly Turkey-critical views, Mr.
Bedo Kurkjian - Demirdjian, communications officer of European
Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) in Brussels
explained to Armenpress: "I think the EPC here in Brussels has put
her under pressure after she published too many openly pro-Turkish and
pro-Azeri articles. That's probably also why she suddenly travelled to
Yerevan. We've seen that before, for some weeks she will be critical
towards Turkey and then things will go back to normal. Paul is here
mostly considered to be the 'mouthpiece' of Azerbaijan in regard
to new strategies and positions criticising Armenia, which we often
first hear from her in public events, and later see them written as
proposals of certain MEPs, pushed by the Azerbaijani lobby. I will
believe in a real change if she criticises also Azerbaijan and if
she will still do it in a year or two."
Please find the full transcript below
Mrs. Paul, you are analyzing the situation in the South Caucasus and
particularly around Nagorno-Karabakh for a long time. After Safarov
extradition and pardon what do you think in what path the peace
process will go and how we can overcome these tensions?
Safarov case definitely made it harder to solve the conflict, as it
increased the animosity mainly from Armenian side towards Azerbaijan
for pretty natural reasons. That's the first point. And I think we have
undermined all the confidence building measures from civil society
and NGOs that were going on in the region. It would also undermine
all the steps taken in Azerbaijan in a more positive manner.
And certainly when you have presidential elections in both countries
it's very difficult to see how it is going to put some momentum
into it. Of course, you know about the two foreign ministers holding
separate meetings with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Paris and
this is the first time that the foreign ministers are meeting after
Safarov case which was not ina positive atmosphere.
In one of your interviews you had made a comparison between Varujan
Karapetyan and Ramil Safarov, stating that Karapetyan was pardoned in
Armenia. This information turned to be wrong. How would you comment
on that?
Yes, you are right. I was badly informed and then I checked it
with the French ministry of Interior. I can fully admit that I was
mistaken. These cases are totally incomparable. Safarov case is
completely different.
You were always pointing out that the Azerbaijani community of
Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be involved in the negotiations. After
Safarov case and the latest developments do you still think so?
There are several cases in the world where the communities were not
comparable, but they managed somehow to work together or come up with
some sort of solution. You know, the first thing that comes to my mind
is Cyprus where Greek Cypriot community is far-far bigger than Turkish
Cypriot community, but yet in the peace deal that is being negotiated,
it is foreseen that Turkish Cypriots would have equal rights, which was
the case since the independence of Cyprus.. . Greek Cypriots accept to
negotiate a settlement in which Turkish Cypriots are equal partners and
would havehigh level jobs. I know the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
is not the same as in Cyprus and no conflicts are the same. I agree
that Nagorno-Karabakh population should be part of the negotiations
with the eventual solution being accepted by them. But we need to
remember that there is an Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh
that is also needed to be involved. And if the end result is that
they have to be resettled in Nagorno-Karabakh then they also need to
be a part of the process, part of the talks too.
You were married to a Turk. Does your personal background anyhow
influence your research?
No, it doesn't and it's apparent why. I have always been clear
about Turkish policies. Both in this conflict (Nagorno-Karabakh)
and in Cyprus conflict. I don't think Turkey has a role to play in
Nagorno-Karabak; it only had a counter productive role. Turkey needs
to stay out of that, it only makes things go backwards. So, it's very
easy for people to say that she is married to a Turk and that makes
her biased, but that's not true.
Photo from http://www.alamiya.org
ARMENPRESS
1 November, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: "I was badly informed and then
I checked it with the French ministry of Interior. I can fully
admit that I was mistaken. These cases are totally incomparable. The
Safarov case is completely different." says the expert of the European
Policy Center (EPC) and columnist for "Today's Zaman" Amanda Paul
in an interview provided to Armenpress. Generally known for her
pro-Azeri and pro-Turkish views, she now made a strong turn-around:
"The Safarov case definitely made it harder to solve the conflict,
as it increased the animosity mainly from Armenian side towards
Azerbaijan for pretty natural reasons. And I think we have undermined
all the confidence building measures from civil society and NGOs that
were going on in the region." On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Paul
now suggests the inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiations,
while advertising that the population of Karabakh must be represented
including the Azeri minority: "if the end result is that they have
to be resettled in Nagorno-Karabakh then they also need to be a part
of the process, part of the talks too." Paul drew a comparison with
Cyprus where she praises the constructiveness of the much larger Greek
Cypriot community, as it accepts the Turkish Cypriot community as a
negotiating partner. Paul used to go under the name of Amanda Akcakoca,
when she was married to a Turk. Asked about any potential bias to her
work she strongly claims that there is none: "I don't think Turkey has
a role to play in Nagorno-Karabakh; it only had a counterproductive
role. Turkey needs to stay out of that, it only makes things go
backwards. So, it's very easy for people to say that she is married
to a Turk and that makes her biased, but that's not true." Paul chose
not to mention that she is also ethnically half-Turkish and has been
strongly socialized into political circles in Baku and Ankara.
Asked to comment on Paul's surprisingly Turkey-critical views, Mr.
Bedo Kurkjian - Demirdjian, communications officer of European
Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) in Brussels
explained to Armenpress: "I think the EPC here in Brussels has put
her under pressure after she published too many openly pro-Turkish and
pro-Azeri articles. That's probably also why she suddenly travelled to
Yerevan. We've seen that before, for some weeks she will be critical
towards Turkey and then things will go back to normal. Paul is here
mostly considered to be the 'mouthpiece' of Azerbaijan in regard
to new strategies and positions criticising Armenia, which we often
first hear from her in public events, and later see them written as
proposals of certain MEPs, pushed by the Azerbaijani lobby. I will
believe in a real change if she criticises also Azerbaijan and if
she will still do it in a year or two."
Please find the full transcript below
Mrs. Paul, you are analyzing the situation in the South Caucasus and
particularly around Nagorno-Karabakh for a long time. After Safarov
extradition and pardon what do you think in what path the peace
process will go and how we can overcome these tensions?
Safarov case definitely made it harder to solve the conflict, as it
increased the animosity mainly from Armenian side towards Azerbaijan
for pretty natural reasons. That's the first point. And I think we have
undermined all the confidence building measures from civil society
and NGOs that were going on in the region. It would also undermine
all the steps taken in Azerbaijan in a more positive manner.
And certainly when you have presidential elections in both countries
it's very difficult to see how it is going to put some momentum
into it. Of course, you know about the two foreign ministers holding
separate meetings with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in Paris and
this is the first time that the foreign ministers are meeting after
Safarov case which was not ina positive atmosphere.
In one of your interviews you had made a comparison between Varujan
Karapetyan and Ramil Safarov, stating that Karapetyan was pardoned in
Armenia. This information turned to be wrong. How would you comment
on that?
Yes, you are right. I was badly informed and then I checked it
with the French ministry of Interior. I can fully admit that I was
mistaken. These cases are totally incomparable. Safarov case is
completely different.
You were always pointing out that the Azerbaijani community of
Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be involved in the negotiations. After
Safarov case and the latest developments do you still think so?
There are several cases in the world where the communities were not
comparable, but they managed somehow to work together or come up with
some sort of solution. You know, the first thing that comes to my mind
is Cyprus where Greek Cypriot community is far-far bigger than Turkish
Cypriot community, but yet in the peace deal that is being negotiated,
it is foreseen that Turkish Cypriots would have equal rights, which was
the case since the independence of Cyprus.. . Greek Cypriots accept to
negotiate a settlement in which Turkish Cypriots are equal partners and
would havehigh level jobs. I know the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
is not the same as in Cyprus and no conflicts are the same. I agree
that Nagorno-Karabakh population should be part of the negotiations
with the eventual solution being accepted by them. But we need to
remember that there is an Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh
that is also needed to be involved. And if the end result is that
they have to be resettled in Nagorno-Karabakh then they also need to
be a part of the process, part of the talks too.
You were married to a Turk. Does your personal background anyhow
influence your research?
No, it doesn't and it's apparent why. I have always been clear
about Turkish policies. Both in this conflict (Nagorno-Karabakh)
and in Cyprus conflict. I don't think Turkey has a role to play in
Nagorno-Karabak; it only had a counter productive role. Turkey needs
to stay out of that, it only makes things go backwards. So, it's very
easy for people to say that she is married to a Turk and that makes
her biased, but that's not true.
Photo from http://www.alamiya.org