As Pashinyan Praises Normalization Process with Turkey, Ankara Continues to Insist on Preconditions
The international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not a foreign policy priority for Yerevan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during an interview with the Turkish media in Yerevan.
A group of Turkish reporters visited Yerevan this week as part of press junket organized and paid for by the prime minister’s office.
“Our official position is that international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not among our foreign policy priorities today,” Pashinyan said, adding that within that context “important” clarifications need to be made.
Pashinyan explained that he often discusses this matter in his official capacity both at home and abroad, which lead to speculations that there is an effort to deny or forget the “Medz Yeghern,” a term he has used in the past and has avoided the use of the word genocide, to describe the events of 1915.
“I want to be very clear that in Armenia and among Armenians, this [the Genocide] is an indisputable truth. In other words, it is simply impossible to deny or disavow it in our reality, because it is an undeniable truth for all of us,” Pashinyan told the Turkish reporters.
“I want to tell you directly, if I am not mistaken, about a speech I gave recently during a meeting with Armenians in Munich, when I said the following: dear compatriots, when the parliament or government of a distant country makes a decision, we are very excited about that decision. This is the case in our reality and there is no secret in it, and even those very distant countries, when they make such decisions and when the excitement or joy from that decision fades, the next moment the following question arises: what does that decision give us in our relations with our immediate environment?,” Pashinyan offered as an explanation.
“When we have tensions in our immediate environment, to what extent do those tensions contribute to stability, peace, etc. in our country, in our region?,” the prime minister pondered.
“It is also here that the question arises, where and how should we focus on serving the state interests of Armenia, and how and where should we focus on emphasizing what we know, including historical truths, and relying on those truths,” Pashinyan added.
According to him, the period in which that “great tragedy” occurred was a period when there was no Republic of Armenia.
“Today there is the Republic of Armenia, an internationally recognized state, and that internationally recognized state has the opportunity to ensure the security and well-being of its own citizens, but certain conditions are necessary for this,” Pashinyan added, saying that peace must be prioritized above all else.
The prime minister also touched on the noramlization process between Armenia and Turkey, praising the effort and saying that it was only a “matter of time” when the two countries can advance relations.
However, while he was making that announcement, a high-ranking Turkish official was telling that Azerbaijani media that relations between Armenia and Turkey would not be normalized until a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku is not finalized.
He attempted to dispel the notion that the non-implementation of agreements between Yerevan and Ankara does not mean the “failure of our policy.”
“Both I and our political team are determined, patient, consistent to achieve the point that the region is a source of stability, peace and prosperity for the Republic of Armenia through conversation, dialogue, facts and arguments. But for this to happen, the region must also be a source of peace, cooperation, prosperity, security and stability for other countries in the region,” Pashinyan said.
The prime minister said that at the time when normalization was on the agenda and there was talk of contacts between representatives of Armenia and Turkey, the very fact that such meetings would take place, elicited complex reactions from society.
“Naturally,” he said, “the public’s reaction also somewhat constrains the government elected by that public.”
“I am convinced that if we move forward with these small steps consistently, calmly, based on arguments, in an atmosphere of mutual respect, the question will not be whether there will be a normalization or not. The question will be when there will be a normalization. It will only be a matter of time, which will, in turn, of course, be affected by a variety of circumstances,” he added.
“This normalization may be postponed for another three months, another six months, another year. But today my perception is that it is a matter of time, and we must patiently walk with that time and, first of all, be guided by the logic of not doing any harm. If we do not cause very specific intentional harm to this process, in my opinion, the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations is now a matter of time,” Pashinyan said.
While Pashinyan was praising the process of normalization between Yerevan and Ankara, the chief advisor to the Turkish president was telling Azerbaijani reporters that his country had no immediate plans on opening of diplomatic relations with Armenia.
“I will note once again that our position on this process is known: a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be the key to solving many issues,” Akif Çagatay Kılıç, the Turkish presidential adviser, was quoted as saying by the Azerbaijani press.
He also emphasized Turkey’s position on the normalization process with Armenia.
“For us, Azerbaijan’s security and territorial integrity are the most important factors. Speaking from this position, we are closely following the process between Azerbaijan and Armenia after the Second Karabakh War, the issue of the peace treaty and we are taking steps in accordance with it,” the Turkish adviser said.
“Naturally, we have discussions with Armenia. There are international structures in which Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia are represented. We are working to find the most correct solution, move forward together and live in peace,” Kılıç added.
