President Sarkisian: Armenia not to be Blamed for the Absence of Relations With Turkey

YEREVAN (Armradio.am) — It’s not the Armenian side to be blamed for the absence of relations between Armenia and Turkey, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian said during the consultations at the Ministry of Defense.

“We should note that all our partners and supporters have come to understand that it’s not the Armenian party to be blamed for the absence of Armenian-Turkish relations. This is important, because even our friends have on several occasions accused us of being non-constructive, for trying to talk to Turkey in the language of preconditions and have our share of guilt in the absence of these relations. I think no one has such doubts today,” President Sargsyan said.

The President said the initiative to normalize the relations with Turkey laid the ground for new culture. “We started to put such complex issues on discussion and proved once again that we are ready to discuss the most complex issues with different layers of our society, our compatriots,” he added.

The President reminded about the criticism of the two protocols. “Many were insisting that the protocols had at least two negative aspects. First, they feared it would suspend the process of recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the long-term perspective,” Serzh Sarkisian said, adding that “now the Turks have concentrated all their efforts to fight against the Armenian Genocide resolution that passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.”

“Secondly, can anyone say today that the protocols have caused harm to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue and that with these protocols we created bases for concessions?” the President said.

“We have a strong position on the issue,” he said. Speaking about the tension at the line of contact, the President said had the rival’s position been strong, they would not escalate the tension.

President Sarkisian stressed another important factor. “If, as many were insisting, the protocols were anti-Armenian and derived from Turkey’s interests, why haven’t the Turks ratified them so far?”

“It’s obvious that had the documents been pro-Turkish, they would not stop before anything, would not listen to Azerbaijan’s opinion and would ratify the protocols,” President Sarkisian said. “Besides, had the documents been pro-Turkish, they would not create tension inside Turkey,” he added.