Azerbaijan is unable to cope with the Karabakh problem alone

PanARMENIAN.Net - The most "unpleasant" point in all this story is that the Karabakh conflict is being sacrificed to the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. It is unacceptable for two reasons: first, real normalization of relations is out of the question as too little time has passed since 1915 and the Armenians have not yet received at least a formal apology; and second, neither Obama nor Medvedev and Sarkozy have realized (or are unwilling to realize) that Turkish intervention into the resolution of the Karabakh conflict can have an opposite result - Armenia may simply take the measures she is forced to under the circumstances: recognition of the NKR independence with all the subsequent consequences.

However, we must not forget that conceivably Erdogan would not like to interfere, but there is too strong a temptation to put an age-old enemy in his place and help the "younger brother". So, what happened in Washington was to be expected. But the visit of Ilham Aliyev to France and his talks with Sarkozy and Kouchner should put the Armenians on their guard, especially when we take into consideration the information leak that Baku has already agreed with Medvedev. Or, we should say, almost agreed. Obama, of course, is good, but if all the three countries speak with one voice, Yerevan will find herself in trouble. And now it's time for Armenia to say that she is not empowered to negotiate on the future of Nagorno-Karabakh, she only acts as a guarantor of the latter's security, and withdraws from negotiations.

However, Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Parliament declared that ratification of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols is possible only in case Armenia makes concessions in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, which was confirmed by Prime Minister Erdogan during his visit to the United States. That is, Turkey already knows when she will or will not ratify the Protocols. Presumably, the Constitutional Court of Armenia, if it holds the national interests, must bring in a verdict stating that the Protocols do not meet the RA Constitution, namely, its preamble, in which there are clear statements about Western Armenia and the Armenian Genocide.

Russia's position is comprehensible too - in the course of the Armenian-Russian relations, which have lasted for almost 2 centuries, it is not the first time that Armenia has become a hostage of Russian-Turkish relations. And the last statement of Dmitry Medvedev can serve as proof to this.

"Russia welcomes Armenian-Turkish rapprochement process and will keep supporting it. We have a positive approach to both counties' efforts towards overcoming age-long conflicts, by showing mutual restraint and trying to find a compromise. So, on the whole we welcome this process of normalization of relations," the Russian President said Wednesday at European and Asian Media Forum, organized by RIA Novosti.

"Other states should understand that the rapprochement process is not directed against anybody," emphasized the Russian President.

"With this message created and directed correctly, other states will feel no strain while following the process," added Medvedev. The President evidently meant Azerbaijan, but Ilham Aliyev obviously thinks differently and, as we noted at the beginning, he is eager to shift his own burden and responsibility on others in order to remain in power. It is still difficult to predict how all this will end, but obviously it will result in nothing good for either Armenia or Azerbaijan, or for the region as a whole. And by the way, Prime Minister Erdogan had better address the problems of his own country, in order to remain in power too.