Even in the years of 1918-1923, when the Entente and afterwards Greece with the support of the Entente immersed into Continental Turkey and successfully moved to Ankara, Turkey concentrated all the power of her army on the Caucasian front against the Armenians. And only after solving all her problems with the support of the Bolshevik Russia on this front, did Turkey send her troops to the West.

This fact alone shows the great importance that Turkey attaches to the Armenian question. It is her biggest concern and she will do everything in her traditional manner: give only promises, sign dozens of contracts, accomplish no single item of the agreements signed, harass and slaughter the Christian population. It has always been so. No need to list all the contracts and the solemn commitments given by Turkish sultans to European leaders...

As for Turkey's present stance, she is a country that will never do anything for the benefit of any other state in the world, especially for the Armenian people, their growth, prosperity and consolidation of statehood. Transit projects like Nabucco or the "Great Silk Road" passing through Armenia are destined to failure for the simple reason that Turkey will never allow them.

Solving her problems - the recognition of borders defined by the Kars Agreement and softening of Armenia's position on the issue of the genocide recognition - as well as strengthening the inter-state borders legally and transferring the issue of the Armenian Genocide to the level of historical discussion that could last for years, Turkey will abruptly turn to the implementation of joint Turkish-Azerbaijani plans, the return of Artsakh to Azerbaijan being a priority. Thus, Nagorno Karabakh will serve as a condition for the realization of Nabucco or any transnational or regional communication project, an idea that will be (or is already) imposed on Europe.

So, in the foreseeable future we shouldn't rely on any transit communications from Asia to Europe, as the railroad lines of Armenia rest on Azerbaijan in the east, thus being destined to permanent unfeasibility, while the beginning of construction of railway communication with Iran is on hold for another year because of indistinctness of the status of the liberated lands and the indistinct position of official Yerevan.

Thus, we shouldn't expect any major economic benefits referred to by a number of politicians and economists, who are for the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. Minor border trade cannot improve the country's economy; it simply contributes to the welfare of business people involved in export and the local population of the borderland. Here are all our dividends.

Politics, in essence, is the art of trading. And there is always a place for more or less equal exchange under favorable conditions; for example, the recognition of the status of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in exchange for the return of part of the liberated lands of no strategic value, or opening of the Armenian-Turkish border with consideration of conditions of the Kars agreement in return for recognition of the Genocide.

It is also appropriate to mention that today Turkey needs a breakthrough, breakthrough to the latest industrial and civilization achievements of the West and to a revised national idea. Today the country is under the threat of militant nationalism, replenished with the religious factor, still controlled by the Turkish leadership. However, today the Turkish leadership faces new challenges associated with the national identity of its population, the Kurdish question and white spots of the history offered to the advanced layer of the society. The (urban) society has already started a cautious revision of the old ideals, which was provoked by loud murders and scandals connected with the Armenian issue.

In the eyes of their public the Turkish leadership needs real diplomatic victories or at least, an illusion of progressive advance in civilization.

As for the reasons why the Administration of the President of Armenia has intensified the dialogue with Turkey on normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, it must be regarded as a Russian-American and European confrontation in the region with the aim to solve their tactical and strategic tasks, among which there are hardly any pro-Armenian planks.