USA can make Gul arrive in Yerevan and have Aliyev sign a treaty of peace with Nagorno Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - However, USA's controlling the Turkish policy is temporary. On August 12 the Constitutional Court of Turkey will announce the verdict of the Prosecutor's General claim against the ruling Party for Justice and Development (AKP). This means that on September 6 the President of Turkey will be either in jail or in Yerevan. And Washington, even if it cannot interfere in the affairs of the Constitutional Court of Turkey, will at least influence the General Staff, which has been directing the Turkish policy for more than 70 years.

But secret negotiations are not a novelty. Still at the beginning of the current year Armenian and Turkish diplomats secretly met in Vienna, but neither of the Foreign Ministries elucidated the meeting. And according to diplomats, it is now time to work more openly. As Turkish Daily News reports, during the past three months Armenian and Turkish officials have conducted two rounds of negotiations in Bern, Switzerland, which is considered an impartial country. Undersecretary of Turkey's Foreign Minister Ertugrul Apakan headed the Turkish delegation during the first round (held in May) and his deputy Unal Cevikoz was the delegation leader at the second round (held in July). According to Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, such contacts are important for normalization of relations. "We still have disagreements over the events of 1915, but we favor a constructive approach and are eager to have a dialogue on solving the problems," he said.
The information on Abdullah Gul's arrival in Yerevan set Azerbaijan on panic. However, it is quite explicable - if Turkey agrees to negotiations, which will lead to normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and result in opening of the border, Baku will lose its sole ally. Though, it should be admitted, that Ankara is not so reliable an ally. Ankara is eager to be a transit of Azerbaijani oil and gas, and cherishes the idea of establishing the Great Turan state, which is not at all favourable to Baku. Still, the Azerbaijani Mass Media are discussing the possible consequences of Abdullah Gul's arrival in Yerevan. According to analyst Rasim Aghayev a question arises whether Turkey will agree to "exchange" Nagorno Karabakh for Armenia's rejection to conduct a campaign for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide across the world. "I think Turkish leadership may undertake this step. But this will be Turkey's mistake, as concessions in Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be immediately followed by concessions of Armenia in the issue of 1915 Genocide, which implies concessions in the issues of compensations to the genocide victims and in the issues of territorial claims by Armenia to Turkey," Aghayev believes.
Chief of Department of Armenian Studies of the Turkish Institute of History Kemal Cicek, commenting to APA Turkish bureau on the secret meetings between Armenian and Turkish officials, stated: "Within various initiatives we've been meeting with Armenians in different European cities - in Oslo, in Salzburg. We proposed to establish joint commission for investigation of historic events, but have not received positive response yet. We cannot achieve the opening of Dashnak archives in Boston. No results have been achieved at these meetings so far. Let our Azerbaijani brothers not worry. Any step against our brothers is out of the question at the meetings held by the Foreign Ministry and our institute as well. There is no room for concern. The meetings may be even assessed as exerting pressure on Armenians through our demands". We get the impression that instead of the Turkish scientist it was an Azerbaijani analyst who answered the question of APA Turkish bureau. By the way it is not the first time that the Azerbaijani Mass Media have distorted the information to their own benefit.
From all the Azeri analysts Zardusht Alizade turned out to be the most sober. He declared that Azerbaijan should not panic in case the Armenian-Turkish border is opened. "The rumours that Azerbaijan might cede Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia are obviously untrue. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict can be settled only through Azerbaijan's effective policy. Only we can solve this problem. The situation is changing in the region and in the whole world, but our authorities are reluctant to notice the change. Oil dollars do not decide everything in the world. Sometimes we must look around and weigh the situation. The West made Turkey establish relations with Armenia and it will make Azerbaijan too. Soon the day will arrive when Azerbaijan will open its borders to Armenia. But in order to achieve it, Armenians have to give up their misleading policy and stop living in the world of myths," Alizade noted, 1news.az reports. It is quite reasonable - Alizade represents the opposition, and unlike other Azeri "political analysts" can afford the truth or at least, the half-truth.

Meanwhile Editor-in-Chief of the Californian Courier Harut Sasunyan is sure that even if the parties are able to overcome the main disagreements, no doubt, there will be no end to controversies between them. They will have arguments on selecting the staff and participants of the perspective Armenian-Turkish commission, on deciding the scope of investigation, on gaining access to the archives, and even on the size of the table round which they are going to sit. "And, of course, the side that will be quicker in smoothing away the controversies will win the PR-war and will blame the other side for collapsing the commission," Sasunyan said, reminding that the RA President had agreed on forming a commission only after the Armenian-Turkish border would be opened.

"In case the President of Turkey or any other authority leader arrives in Yerevan on September 6, the Armenian authorities should follow the protocol of visiting the memorial to the Genocide victims and lay flowers to perpetuate their memory. But the problem is if Turkish officials will agree to it. On April 21, 1993 former President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian left for Ankara and obeyed the protocol by visiting the mausoleum of Ataturk. Unfortunately the highly emotional and sentimental issue of the Armenian Genocide is transformed into political football. No one has the right to make political deals at the expense of recognition of this atrocious crime! The Armenian issue must not be subject to manipulations neither by the Turks, nor by the Armenians," Sasunyan stated.