Political expert: Withdrawal from Zurich protocols will be Armenian-style hara-kiri

Day.Az: Armenia is going to make amendments to laws which will enable the country to withdraw its signatures from international treaties. Armenian officials recently announced that if Turkey delays ratification of the Zurich protocols, Armenia may withdraw from them. In your opinion, what is the reasons for these statements?  

Vafa Guluzade: The reason is a turkophobia inherent in Armenia. Yerevan made sure that the Turkish parliament either may delay or not ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols at all. So, it decided to move back. I think that a move by the Armenia parliament to review withdrawal of signature from the Zurich protocols will prove absolutely senseless and unnecessary step. Once Armenia takes this step, it will lose a chance to resume relations with Turkey. It means that Armenia will “dig a grave” for itself. This will be a kind of Armenian-style hara-kiri.
 
Do you believe Armenia’s willingness to withdraw from Zurich protocols had an impact on Armenian Diaspora’s radical position towards the Armenia-Turkey rapprochement?

Armenian Diaspora is a special conglomerate, who lives by memories of 1915. The world has seen dramatic changes since then.

There is a very strange situation. The number of Russians the German fascists killed during the World War II was ten times more than current population of Armenia. The elite of the Turkish army was destroyed during the course of the many Russian-Turkish wars, in particular, in the Sarikamish battle. Nevertheless, today, Germany and Russia on the one side, and Turkey and Russia on the other side build a new relationship not looking at past.

However, the Armenian diaspora lives with memories of far-fetched "genocide" in the Ottoman Empire even after 100 years. Neither the empire nor people of that era exist any more. But Armenians do not still forget the times when their betrayal of their country (Ottoman Empire) and taking side of Russian troops provoked an adequate response by the Ottoman Empire. Until now, the Armenian Diaspora believes that hatred towards Turks should unite Armenian people and make it "great". It's just some sort of disease of Armenian psychology. This is quite an unhealthy way of thinking that will ultimately lead to collapse of the Armenian state which is at odds with its neighbors.

If Armenia had not occupied Azerbaijan’s lands, our region would be the most prosperous in the world. Today Armenia wants to take advantage of Turkey and reopen borders not returning Azerbaijan’s occupied territories and not giving up its hostility towards Turks. So, this is Armenia’s absolutely schizophrenic approach to the problems in our region. It will further feud with its neighbors. Even foreign owners of Armenia will be forced to think over this senseless policy.

Armenia avoids linking opening of borders with Turkey with resolution ot the Karabakh conflict. How will Armenia’ possible withdrawal from the  Zurich protocols impact resolving the Karabakh problem?

I think Armenia plays not a pivotal role in the Karabakh issue. Russia and the United States play the main role. Pace of the conflict resolution depends on their attitude. Unfortunately, I do not see any real progress in settlement of the Karabakh problem. It may appear only after geopolitical situation in the world and in our region changes.

In your opinion, what relations will Armenian and Turkish Diaspora have in the "neutral ground" (in the U.S. and other countries)?

I think everything will depend on the United States and its interests. If Washington is interested in making the South Caucasus a region of peace and its ally, it will pave a way for return of occupied Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and opening of borders between the countries. If Washington is interested in the status quo in the South Caucasus, the inactive OSCE Minsk Group to continue to act in its old format.

I do not know which option the U.S. has chosen. But I know one thing for sure- if Washington keeps on acting like this, America will never achieve "peace" in our region.

Concerning the Armenian diaspora in the United States, its representatives are very strange citizens of America. They dedicate their lives to recognition of the far-fetched "Armenian genocide". The actions of the Armenian Diaspora harm the United States and American interests. Thus, it seems that the U.S. citizens (Armenian diaspora) act to detriment of the state, which is extremely interested in close relations with Turkey as its strategic ally in the region.

Z. Ahmadov